Corked Wine Blog

Brian Arden Cabernet Franc 2008

2012-01-28T23:51:00.002-05:00

Could the Cabernet Franc live up to the Brian Arden Zinfandel or the Syrah that were previously posted? Unfortunately no. Then again, that is like following Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell in the Pirate batting order. Cabernet Franc is typically more of a blending grape, including one of the Bordeaux blending grapes. This 2008 BA wine is a blend of 97% Cabernet Franc and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. The initial aromas that we loved so much on the other two wasn't present in this one. It was a little tighter on the nose. The initial aromas were dried plums and raisins along with some peas. I also thought there was some old burned wood smell, that I sometimes get from the patio grill. The initial taste was of the dried fruits along with some earthiness and asparagus. It ended with a subtle spiciness on the back end. Other Cabernet Franc's that I have drank have also had a vegetable side to them. The 2008 Cabernet Franc is leaner than the other two Brian Arden wines previously reviewed and the flavors faded quickly. This medium bodied, garnet colored wine also had more tannins. Be sure to give this 20 minutes to open before drinking. This would pair nicely with lamb chops, pork tenderloins or even a burger. Don't pair it with any bold or spicy flavors. Overall, it was OK but would certainly pick the Zinfandel and the Syrah over the Cabernet Franc.

NEW YORK WINE EXPO 2012

2012-01-26T00:31:00.004-05:00

Treat yourself to a first class trip around the world of wine at the 5th Annual New York Wine Expo, March 2nd - 4th. The Grand Tasting offers attendees a chance to sample wines from nearly 190 wineries from around the globe. The Expo is also an opportunity to talk directly with wine makers and pick up tips on serving, pricing and selecting the right vintage. The New York Wine Expo will be held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. The latest in wine accessories and specialty foods will also be on hand at the Grand Tasting. “The New York Wine Expo features wines from the greatest wine-producing regions of the world,” said Ed Hurley, New York Wine Expo Show Director. “But the Expo also includes the biggest trends of the year ahead from smaller local wineries, to organic wines to off beat varietals that you’ll want to pour time and again.”

The show will run from 6-10 p.m. on Friday and from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are available online. Use promo code: CORKEDWB and you will receive a $15 discount on the price of a Friday ticket (listed below). I hope to see you there!

Standard Ticket Prices (without the discount):

Friday, March 2

$75 through 2/24

$85 beginning 2/25

Saturday, March 3

$85 through 2/24

$95 beginning 2/25

For tickets, updated seminar schedule and event information visit http://www.newyorkwineexpo.com/ or call 800-544-1660. Note: The Wine Expo is not open to the general public on Sunday.

Brian Arden Syrah 2008

2012-01-14T13:16:00.002-05:00

After tasting the Brian Arden Zin (previous post), I couldn't wait to pop the cork on the Syrah. Syrah was originally from the Rhone region of France and is used by many winemakers as a blending grape. But not by Brian and Burt. The 2008 Syrah is 100% syrah and is from the Masked Man Vineyard in Mendocino, CA. Unfortunately, this was the last vintage from this vineyard as it has been pulled out and replaced with Cabernet Sauvignon vines. Last night we made home-made pizzas, including the dough, topped with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, Italian salami and some sliced New Mexico peppers, along with a home-made tomato sauce. What better to go with the peppers and tomato sauce than a tasty syrah. Upon pouring the first glass, it had a nice deep red color along with a blue tint. The aromas on the Brian Arden Syrah were as wonderful as those from the Zin with black cherry and plum, along with some green herbal notes and some espresso. On the palate, the fruit was forward with both cherry and some blueberry flavors along with some subtle white pepper. I also picked up some slight earthy/stoney flavors. Although syrah's are typically full-bodied and bolder wines, this one was medium to full bodied but is well structured with subtle tannins and acidity. Again, the flavors lingered for some time. Overall, another spectacular wine from the Brian Arden Wines. My wife said "they are in a league of their own". What a way to start the new year. These will be tough to follow. As previously mentioned, the Brian Arden Wines are only available in Napa restaurants. Hopefully soon, it will be more readily available. Stay tuned for more details.

Brian Arden Zinfandel 2009

2012-01-08T15:07:00.005-05:00

This is a name you all need to remember as it is a relatively new winemaker from Calistoga that you will be hearing rave reviews about in the near future. The Brian Arden wines are produced by a father (Arden "Burt") and son (Brian) team. Brian previously worked for the world famous Brix Restaurant where he was introduced to many industry icons. In 2006 he moved to Calistoga starting in the cellar at Terra Valentine where he worked along side some of the most respected names in Napa winemaking including Kirk Venge, Michael Hirby, Sam Baxter, Bob Engelhoff and Jack Stuart. Brian also had the privilege of sharing winery space with such luminaries as David Phinney of Orin Swift (WS #7 Best Wine in the world - Prisoner 2005), Steven Hall (Biale), Ray Coursen (Elyse & Falcor), Mark Jessup (Jessup Cellar) and Mike Farmer (Opus One). The 2008 harvest was their first for Brian Arden wines. Burt also grew up in the farming business where his father (Burton of Burton Ranch) ran a commercial farming operation in the Central Valley including vineyards, prunes, pears and walnuts.

Last night we had our good friends Louise and Jonas, along with their children, over for dinner. My wife made a braised chicken which was braised in a tomato sauce with pancetta and mushrooms. The first thought was an Italian red because of the braise. However, a nice zinfandel with some spice was the perfect pairing. Burt suggested opening for 15-20 minutes before serving but after popping the cork, I had a hard time letting it sit. The nose was incredible with dark fruits (black cherry and blackberry) along with some chocolate and cedar. There was also a hint of clove. After these aromas, it had to be a great wine. And it was!!!! The black jammy fruits were followed by some licorice and chocolate and then some spicy pepper on the back end. This zinfandel was not the typical dark, bold, in-your-face zin that many CA wines are, which was what I really liked about the Brian Arden. It was structured so well with minimal to medium acidity, some soft tannins and flavors that never ended. Although it has a 14.7% alcohol content, it was well disguised. This wine wine made from 100% zinfandel grapes that had been harvested at the Burton Ranch Pump Block from ancient vines, with some dating back to 1886 which produce only 1-2 bunches per vine. The grapes are smaller than those from the newer vines.

The wine received rave reviews at dinner. I personally have not tasted a better zinfandel than this one. If this had been a blind tasting, I would have expected a top name winemaker as opposed to the new kids on the block. Presently, the Brian Arden wines are only being sold to restaurants, but this will likely change in the near future. The next time you are in a restaurant in Napa, be sure to order a glass. I can't wait to try the other Brian Arden wines including the Cabernet Sauvignon, the Cabernet Franc, the Syrah and the Sauvignon Blanc.

Zero Degrees of Riesling 2010

2011-09-24T23:57:00.002-04:00

The first Finger Lakes Riesling that we tasted was the Zero Degrees Riesling produced by Three Brothers Wineries and Estates from Geneva, NY. The 0 Degrees is 1 of 4 wines in their Four Degrees production. The 0 Degrees is the driest and the 3 Degrees is their sweet Riesling. The 0 Degrees wine was harvested in September from the Estate vineyards located on the north east end of Seneca Lake. The grapes for this wine are from vines 30+ years old. Upon opening, this wine had a rather tight nose but slowly opened up to some passion fruit and floral notes, along with a hint of slate. The initial tastes included fresh apricots along with some pears. Then, a green apple covered in honey hits you in the mid palate. Although it is a very dry wine with only 6 grams of residual sugar, the ph was 3.23 and to both my wife and I this was a rather sweet wine. If the Zero degrees is the driest and the 3 is their sweet Riesling, I can only image how sweet it must be. We started drinking this while cooking and then served it with our fish dinner. We both agreed that it completely over powered the fish. It is a nice wine to drink on the patio with some appetizers or for the first course of a salad with a citrus dressing. Be sure to keep this wine COLD!! Also, we tried it the next day and I highly urge you to finish the bottle upon opening. Overall, a decent wine for relaxing on the patio or to serve with an appetizer. We now have our base for comparing the other five Finger Lake Rieslings. I would really enjoy doing a tasting of all 4 wines from the Four Degrees of Riesling production. The Zero Degrees Riesling 2010 retails for $14.00.

Finger Lakes Wine Country Rieslings

2011-09-24T21:57:00.001-04:00

The mayor of Geneva, NY has declared September 22, 2011 as "Riesling Day". Over the next few weeks, I will be posting six Riesling which I received from the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance. Each of the wines are from the 2010 vintage. Before I get started, here is an overview of this vintage as provided by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance (www.fingerlakeswinealliance.com).

The 2010 Finger Lakes harvest was the warmest growing season in nearly forty years and the wettest since 1973. Combined with the early bud break in April and adequate rainfall throughout the summer and fall, the wines from this vintage are varied in style but with a slant towards lower acid, intense fruit and wonderful ripeness. Some vineyards harvested Rieslings early while others chose to let their fruit hang through the end of October resulting in differing styles from the variety.

Riesling grows well in cool-climate and the varied soils of the Finger Lakes. The lakes and sloping topography create a macro climate protecting the vines from the region's typical cold winters while warding off the high humid levels found in other non-arid wine regions. Between the lakes, the varying meso and micro climates create Rieslings with incredible diversity and range. Overall, the region produces wines of outstanding quality and value with most Rieslings retailing for under $20 per bottle.

The Finger Lakes is home to 96 of New York's 231 wine producers. Although Rieslings are the most recognized wines in this region, other white's that are gaining attention include the chardonnay and the gewurztraminer. The Rieslings are generally dry, semi-dry, semi sweet or sweet.
In southern CT, we don't find many wines from the Finger Lake region so I am looking forward to trying these six bottles. Stay tuned.

Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 2009

2011-07-29T20:02:00.002-04:00

Tonight, I stopped into Bruce Park Liquors and asked for a suggestion. Both employees said one of their favorite wines in the entire store is the Kings Ridge Pinot Noir. Maybe the distributor was just in. Anyways, I gave it a try. This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of grapes from the Willamette Valley and the Umpqua Valley in Oregon. The Willamette Valley is located in the northwest region of Oregon and has more of a cooler and wetter climate from the mountains. Although this region is prone to flooding, however, these floods have also brought rich soils from the eastern side of Oregon. The Willamette Valley has received rave reviews for the outstanding Pinot Noirs produced in this region. The Umpqua Valley is located in southern Oregon and rivals Willamette for outstanding wines. Depending on which region of the Umpqua Valley you are in, the climate changes quite drastically. Southern Umpqua is a much warmer region than the mountainous northern Umpqua. For the outdoorsman, this is a great area for hiking, camping and is well known as a mecca for fly fishing.

The Kings Ridge Winery is owned by two partners Ryan Harms and George Hillberry. How's that name for a winemaker? The ownership entity is Union Wine Company. According to the winemaker, 2009 was a tough year due to the rains and then the high temperatures later on when they typically harvest the grapes. This vintage was allowed to stay on the vines for an extended period of time, which did cause some to dry and shrivel. Unfortunately, my hopes of this "best wine in the store" was quickly tarnished once I opened the screw-top cap. This dark burgundy wine had a black fruit aroma along with an alcohol smell that had a burning effect on my nose. As the wine opened, the alcohol burns went away and the black fruits turned into red berries, along with a leather belt aroma. Yet ever changing, an aroma of red roses evolved along with some raspberries. This wine was aged in both new and used French oak barrels. On the palate, the wine missed the front and middle of the palate and went straight to the back. There was some red currant flavors along with some herbal notes. I also picked up some teaberry flavors. Remember Clark's teaberry gum. The tannins were relatively smooth but there was no back end to this wine, except for an unpleasant after taste. Overall, I would pass on this next time. The Kings Ridge Pinot Noir 2009 retails for $17.50.

Tilia Torrontes 2009

2011-07-02T13:18:00.001-04:00

With summer upon us, the Tilia Torrontes is a nice wine to savor on a hot day. The Torrontes grape has really gained attention in Argentina, yet I feel many white wine drinkers in the US have not ventured into this varietal yet. Tilia is Latin for Linden, which is the tree represented on the label. This wine is produced at Bodegas Esmeralda located east of Mendoza. The Tilia Torrontes starts off with a nice floral aroma along with apricots and some citrus. The flavors are not overpowering of citrus or juicy peaches but more of a white peach along with some cantaloupe and jasmine. The acidity is perfect and the flavors are long lasting. This would be a nice aperitif, or better yet, served with an appetizer due to the 13.5% alcohol. Some people ask what you would serve with a salad and this would be the perfect pairing. I could even see pairing this with chips and a artichoke dip or other non-spicy dip. Wine Spectator rated this 85 points. This wine deserves a higher rating. The Tilia Torrontes 2009 retails for $10.

Apaltagua Reserva Carmenere 2008

2011-06-28T01:13:00.002-04:00

The Carmenere is a varietal that is still unfamiliar to many wine drinkers, but it is catching on quickly. I, like many of you, had not tasted the Carmenere until Cristobal Undurraga introduced me to it about 2 years ago. This grape was originally from France and was actually 1 of 6 grapes that could be blended in Bordeaux wines. Unfortunately, it was a late ripening grape and was not flourishing in the cold weather. Since being planted in Chile, the varietal has really gained an audience in Chile. Today, it is one of the most planted grapes. Historically, it has been used as a blending grape but now it can stand on it's own. The Apaltagua Reserva is a wonderful wine that is 100% carmenere which was harvested from 60+ year old vines in the Apalta Valley Estate. This crimson colored wine starts off with aromas of a basket of black cherries and cassis along with some green herbs. My wife compared it to a fir tree. There was also a bit of smokiness and spices. On the palate, the initial cherry and plum flavors are followed up by raspberries and then some spicy dark chocolate and a slight creaminess from the French oak back end. This unfiltered Reserva was well structured with nice acidity and very smooth tannins with a long finish. If you are not familiar with Carmenere, give it a try. It might remind you of a cabernet franc. For $10-$14/bottle, this might be the next big following. We served it with a grilled (wood fired) flank steak with a smoked paprika chimichura sauce along with a side of grilled corn and tomato salad. Paired well with both dishes. I opened this bottle about 30-45 minutes before dinner was served. Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar rated this 88 points. This was a very enjoyable wine and it received two thumbs up at our house. This was purchased at Wine Wise (see side bar for link).

Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2009

2011-06-25T14:16:00.000-04:00

One of my wife's friends introduced us to the Yealands Sauvignon Blanc. Yealands was started in 2002 by Peter Yealands who, in such a short period of time, has turned his winery into the leader in sustainable growing. They have received both the Sustainable Winegrowing Certification (SWINZ) and has a CarboNZero Certification, which is shown on the label. In addition to other techniques, Yealands uses wind turbines and solar panels. To reduce spraying and tractor mowing, they allow the sheep to graze in the vineyards. Yealands is the largest privately owned vineyard in New Zealand. 2009 was a trying year for the Marlborough region due to the lack of rain in March and April. The grapes for this vintage were picked a little later than normal.

Last night we opened a bottle of the 2009 Sauvignon Blanc which started with tight aromas of lime and grapefruit and some stoniness. The Awatere Valley located south of Marlborough is know for its stony ravines and sloping landscape. On the palate, there is a biting pink grapefruit flavor followed by green apples and green vegetable (asparagus) and some minerality on the back. The wine was medium bodied with some complexity but the acidity was unusually high and the back end had a bitterness that didn't encourage me to have another glass. This wine must be kept cold. Also, I would not drink this as an aperitif. This could be enjoyed with an appetizer or a main course of scallops and fish. Overall, a decent wine but I would probably try another sauvignon blanc instead of this one next time. Wine Spectator gave it an 88 point rating which is probably at the high end of my range. I think 85-87 is more representative of this wine. It retails for about $11-$12.

Koyle Wines

2011-06-21T01:50:00.001-04:00

My friend Cristobal Undurraga was in town last week and introduced several new wines from Koyle and one from Terrapura. This is the 4th meeting I have had with him and I have to say the wines just keep getting better. As mentioned in previous postings, the Undurraga's have been making wines since 1885 when Francisco Undurraga started the family business. They were the first Chilean winery to export to the US in 1903. In 2006, the family sold the winery, vineyard and brand name to an investment group. Shortly thereafter, Alfonso Undurraga Mackenna and his three sons, Max, Alphonso and Cristobal purchased 2,718 acres in Los Lingus, in the foothills of the Andes Mountain. Also mentioned previously, Cristobal has learned the trade not only from his family but some of the top wineries in Argentina, Napa, Australia and France. His last stop before coming back to the family business was with Aurelio Montes´s Kaiken. Cristobal's grandfather's motto was "quality before quantity". And the brothers have certainly lived up to that. The Undurraga's began working on transforming their winery into a biodynamic winery in 2009 and expect to receive the official designation later this year. When you are ready to give Chilean wine a try, be sure to search out the Koyle and Terrapura wines.

We began the night with the 2010 Terrapura Sauvignon Blanc. Terrapura is small production by Alfonso Undurraga. Once I took a "sniffy sniff" (thanks Gary V), I was ready to dive in. The rich intense aromas of exotic fruits and citrus were overwhelming. These wonderful fruits followed onto the palate with smooth, crisp acidity. A perfect aperitif or serve with appetizers. This was one of the nicest sauvignon blancs that I have tasted in a long time.  Probably my pick of the year. This is a steal at $9.99.

Next we turned to the reds and the Koyle label. We started with the 2009 Koyle Reserva Carmenere. Until 2009, Carmenere was primarily used as a blend with other grapes, most notably Syrah at the Koyle winery. However, the 2009 was so good that it could stand on it's own and then blended with 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Syrah. Cristobal said they tried other grapes including Merlot but they just didn't work. The carmenere grape is a late ripening grape with plenty of black fruit and cassis. There is also a gentle as well as some minerality from the stony terroir. 60% of the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, while the other 40% was aged in stainless steel to preserve the individual characteristics of each grape. This was served with a lamb chop appetizer. The Reserva retails for $19.99.

The 2008 Koyle Royale Syrah is a very dark colored wine that is a blend of 93% Syrah and 7% Malbec. The Royale line of wines from Koyle are the top end wines. This full bodied Syrah had a wonderful nose of fresh plums, coffee and notes of black pepper . The black fruits overwhelm your taste buds along with cedar, some smokiness and  minereality from the granite slopes of the Andes Mountains. The tannins were smooth and silky and long lasting flavors. The wine was aged for 18 months with 1/2 being aged in new French oak and the other 1/2 aged in 1 year old used French oak barrels. Just before bottling the wine is blended without filtration. Although this wine is ready to be enjoyed now, put it away for another 5-10 years and you will have a great wine. I recommend serving this with grilled meats or a BBQ sauce. Only 2,200 cases of the 2008 Koyle Royale Syrah were made. It retails for $25.99. I really enjoyed this wine and would recommend buying a few bottles.

The 2009 Koyle Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon was a tighter wine with aromas of sweet blackberries and blueberries, along with some vanilla and green vegetables. The black fruit flavor followed onto the palate along with some currants, tobacco and a hint of mint.  This is a blend of 90% cabernet and 10% malbec with the grapes coming from three lots in the Colchaua Valley: Los Lingues, Apalta and Lolol. Following maceration, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. The Reserva Cabernet was not as bold as the typical California Cabernet, which also made this enjoyable but the young tannins were still chewy.   You will want to decant this for at least an hour to get the most out of it. The 2009 Koyle Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon retails for $16.99. A nice Cabernet that you won't have to break the bank.

The 2008 Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon is a few giant steps above the Reserva Cabernet.  Koyle has 15 hectares (37 acres) of Cabernet. The 2008 Royale is a dark ruby colored wine that is a blend of 85% Cabernet, 13% Malbec and 2% Carmenere. Although the nose had more of a juicy red fruit aroma along with cassis, the black fruits were prevalent on the palate, along with some spiciness and toasty oak. Unlike the 2009 Reserva Cabernet, this wine had a much fuller and complex structure with perfectly silky tannins and flavors that were never ending. As similar to the Royale Syrah, the Royale Cabernet is aged for 18 months in French oak and is also unfiltered. This is a limited production with only 4,000 cases produced. If you are lucky enough to find it, be sure to treat yourself. I suggest decanting this for about an hour.   If this wine had a California label, it would likely be retailed for double the $25.99 that Koyle sells it for. This will age well for the next 5-10 years. This was probably my favorite red of the night, although each of the wines were very nice.

Last up was the 2007 CAYU. This is a wine made from four producers: Larrain, Lasmatres, Toso & Undurraga. Cristobal went back to Mendoza and created this wine with the five friends from his days working in Mendoza. CAYU means the number 6 in the the local Mapuche dialect.  The CAYU is a 100% malbec with all grapes coming from a single vineyard in the Uco Valley, southwest of Mendoza City. Malbec is a grape that came from Europe prior to the phylloxera infestation and thus the vines had the original roots. Following the outbreak, vines would be grafted onto other grapes roots. Today, it is one of the most widely harvested grapes in Argentina. This aromas reminded me of a blueberry pie with some spices on top. The rich anise and plum flavors were combined with the sweetness of the blueberries and some vanilla on the back end. The acidity was higher but the tannins were soft and subtle. Like several of the others, this wine is unfiltered and aged for 24 months in new French oak barrels. Give this wine about 30-60 minutes of decanter time before serving. I generally have a tough time putting bottles away in the cellar but this will be outstanding in another 5 years. This was tied with the Royale Cabernet Sauvignon as my favorite red wine of the night.  This is a very limited production with 1,200 (Six-bottle cases) produced. It retails for $49.99.

I highly recommend the Koyle and Terrapura wines from Chile. If you can't find them in your local store, you can purchase them from Quintessential Wines (click on logo on sidebar).

Anders Holst - Soho Suite

2011-06-06T23:47:00.002-04:00

If you don't recognize the name, it is because Anders Holst is a musician and not a winery. I was recently asked about the types of music that I listen to while enjoying a nice glass of wine. Of course that is a hard answer as there are so many genre's of music that fit with wine, food, vineyards, and that special person you are hopefully sharing the wine with. Until I was contacted and asked to review his music, I had never heard of Mr. Holst. He is originally from Gothenburg Sweden, but now resides in the Soho section of Manhattan. Only fitting, his third and newest album which will be released tomorrow is titled Soho Suite. This smooth jazz is recommended for all adults who have endured the journey of love as well as those who are currently looking for love. The lyrics will touch your heart and bring back memories from your past or current relationships. "Love Surrender" reminds us of when we got tired of all the short-term relationships and wanted to settle down. In this journey we have all had our hearts broken and the feeling of not being able to move forward but "Time is Not Waiting". "To Forgive is Divine" reminds us of that terrible feeling of hurting that one special person and hoping they will take you back. Many of us can relate to most, if not all, of these chapters in our own relationships. All the lyrics were written either by Anders Holst or in collaboration. One exception was the remake of "I Keep Forgettin" (Michael McDonald). In his previous album Romantika, Mr. Holst recorded a wonderful jazzy remake of Billy Joel's All About Soul. This album earned him a nomination for International Male Vocalist of the Year in the 2010 Smooth Jazz Awards along with Michael Buble, Seal and Matt Dusk. As Quincy Jones stated "his honest and original love songs can give romantic music a brand new chance. Do your heart a favor and check him out". Anders will be opening and closing Sing For Hope's "Pianos in the Park" program, which will place over 80 pianos for public use in NYC parks. Going back to wine, this album could be paired with red or white and shared with the one you love. As a special offer from Nidhi Thapar at Two Sheps That Pass, I will have a free CD sent out to the first reader who responds. You can also go to http://www.andersholst.com/ to hear samples of his music. Soho Suite will be available on Amazon, iTunes, Napster, eMusic, Rhapsody and Spotify.

Llai Llai Pinot Noir 2009

2011-05-18T23:55:00.005-04:00

Now there is an interesting name. However, llai llai in the local mapuche language means wind. And this wine comes from a windy and rainy area of Chile known as the Bio Bio Valley. The region is located approximately 300 miles south of Santiago and 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean and is rich in red clay soils and volcanic stone. The Bio Bio (pronounced Bee o) region is slowly catching on for wine making compared to the easier growing climate in northern Chile. Moscatel is the most prevalent grape in the Bio Bio, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, with Pinot Noir taking up a close 4th. The Llai Llai is made by Louis Vallet, who is the 5th generation family member that has gone into the wine business. His father, Bernard Vallet, is well known in the Burgundy circle. Louis spends 6 months a year in Chile and the other 6 months back in France also making Pinot Noir wines.

Upon opening the 2009 vintage, I immediately thought of meat. My wife went one step further and said grilled pork. She was right on. I had smelled this once before in a wine from Koyle wines, also from Chile, but it was a completely different grape. Although it had a rather deep red color, it was a very light bodied wine. It had been aged for 16 months with 40% aged in 2nd use French oak barrels and the remaining 60% aged in stainless steel. Once you got past the meat aromas, there was some raspberries and cherries along with herbal notes. On the palate, the initial flavors were black cherry, followed by some currants and some oakiness. In addition, there was a minerality that came thru on the back end. The alcohol content was 13.8% and the acidity was medium. The tannins were also fairly mild. Overall, an interesting wine that would be the perfect match for fish. Yes, a red with fish. We agreed that it might not be a wine that we would pick up again, but would certainly be enjoyed by others. This can be purchased for $12.98 at "Buy Wine Online" located on the right sidebar of this blog.

Paul Dolan Zinfandel 2007

2011-05-16T23:42:00.002-04:00

The Paul Dolan 2007 Zinfandel is a medium-bodied wine that is a blend of zinfandel grapes from Mendocino County (79%) and Amador County (21%). Mr. Dolan is probably as well known for his organic and bio-dynamic farming as he is for his award winning wines. This Zinfandel is Certified Organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). It is not the full bodied, full flavored Zin that you typically find in CA. I would guess that these grapes came from younger vines. In fact, it was more of a French Beaujolais to us than a zinfandel. This light garnet colored wine started off with a sweet juicy raspberry aroma followed by some leather and pepper. However, on the palate, there were more black fruits and cherry flavors along with some plum and chocolate. Although it has a 14.5% alcohol volume, it was well integrated. The tannins were mild but there was a slight oaky aftertaste. It was not overly dry either. As it reminded us of a Beaujolais, we put it in the refrigerator and chilled it and it became a much nicer wine. This is not a wine to decant. I would hold this for another 2-3 years if possible. Wine Enthusiast rated this 91 points. I think this is a bit high but still a nice overall wine. The Paul Dolan 2007 Zinfandel could pair nicely with many foods. For a change, give it a shot with turkey, duck or even ham. It retails for $22-$25 but can be found at "Buy Wine Online" for $19 on the side bar of this blog.

Viticcio Toscana Bere 2007

2011-05-16T16:26:00.001-04:00

This wine caught my attention because it is from Greve In Chianti, which is a nearby town of our favorite Radda. Greve in Chianti is the "capital" of the Chianti region with the old Tuscan town square with some small wines shops, butchers and cheese shops. If you are ever in this area, it is worth the stop. The Viticcio winery was founded in the early 1960's by Lucio Landini and his wife. Their first harvest was in 1964 with a total production of less than 20,000 bottles. Today, the ownership and operations have been taken over by Lucio's son Alessandro. They have slightly more than 30 hectares (74 acres) and have specialized in Chianti's and super Tuscan blends. The Bere is a medium to full bodied wine which has a dark crimson color and is a blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot. On the nose, there is a dark fruit aroma, dried raisins and some earthiness. On the palate, the cherry and currants are the initial taste followed by some chocolate and some of the Tuscan dirt. There is a slight tartness on the back, but it went away on the second day of being open. This wine was barreled for 8 months in Slovenian oak. Overall, this dry wine was well structured with a nice acidity and long lasting flavors. The tannins were still slightly chewy but did not bother me. You will want to decant this for about an hour to really get the flavors out. Wine Spectator rated this 90 points, which is slightly high. I would have thought they would be in the 87-88 range. It is a very enjoyable and easy drinking wine that is a great bargain for the $12 retail price. This was paired with Swiss sausages but would also be great with a pasta dish or a sausage and pepperoni pizza.

Hall Sauvignon Blanc 2009

2011-04-29T18:49:00.003-04:00

Many people head to New Zealand, South Africa or Chile for Sauvignon Blanc but I am here to tell you that there are great Sauvignon Blancs in our back yard - Yountville (Napa), CA. The Sauvignon Blanc grape is a green skinned grape that was originally from the Bordeaux region of France. The 2009 Hall Sauvignon Blanc is a powerful medium-bodied dry white wine that starts with a rich and powerful nose of grapefruit, along with some lemon and kiwi and touch of vanilla. This refreshing and fruit forward wine has a nice crisp acidity with long lasting flavors of peach and lemon to start, some bosc pear in the middle and then a little heat on the back end. This is a very enjoyable wine. We served it with a chicken and seafood paella and it was a perfect compliment. Wine & Spirits Magazine gave the Hall Sauvignon Blanc 2009 a 91 point rating. I would definitely agree with this rating. It retails for $22, which is a little high but worth it. Give this a try. Another very nice Sauvignon Blanc from Rutherford, CA is the Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (review posted October 13, 2009).

Emilio Moro Finca Resalso 2008

2011-04-20T22:47:00.001-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been on a Spanish wine hunt. I have even gone back to some of my favorites, including the Tinto Figuero 15 (tasting posted February 25, 2010) . I also just found in CT the Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Reserve 2004 which until now could only find in Switzerland (tasting posted July 31, 2009). Can't wait to pop that cork. The other night while having pizza, I tried the Finca Resalso 2008. The Resalso is from the Leon region of Spain where the tempranillo grape is actually known as Tinto Fino. This dark garnet colored wine made from 100% tempranillo grapes started off with a big powerful aroma of black fruit that quickly changed to cowhide and star anise. The 2008 had been aged for 4 months in French Oak barrels but the nose led you to believe a lot longer. I also thought there was an abundance of alcohol on the nose. On the palate, this medium bodied wine had plenty of red and black juicy berries along with dark chocolate, and again, a slightly elevated alcohol taste and oakiness. The 2008 has a 13.5% alcohol content. The earthiness that you sometimes find in the tempranillo wines was completely lost in this one. I actually went back a day later to try it again but it did not get any better. There was also a noticeable increase in acidity and a bitter cherry taste on the back end. The sales clerk at the store said he hadn't tried it so I was on my own. The Wine Advocate rated this 90 points. Maybe I had a bad bottle but I think they missed the boat on this one. The Resalso 2008 at $13 or the Ondarre Reserve 2004 at $11 is a no brainer. This would definitely be a pass next time.

Tomaiolo Pinot Grigio 2010

2011-04-16T21:38:00.000-04:00

Tonight my wife made mussels with a saffron aioli sauce. An Italian Pinot Grigio by Tomaiolo was chosen for this dish. Unfortunately, for my taste, this did not work. Along with some fruity aromas, it also had a hint of rubbing alcohol. Additionally, the acidity was overbearing and the taste was more of a gasoline (I would guess) taste and a bitter back end. Italians are known for picking the Pinot Grigio grapes a little early so the acidity remains high. The alcohol was only 12% but it smelled and tasted a lot higher. The producer claims it has an apple blossom scent and flavor but I completely missed those. This would be a definite pass next time. For $9, what do you expect.

50% OFF Arger-Martucci Wines

2011-04-11T11:16:00.004-04:00

Arger-Martucci is having a blowout 50% sale until Friday, April 15. Great wines from a family owned and operated winery located in Napa, CA. Below are the tasting notes. Several of these wines are previously posted in the blog. 93 point wines at 50% off. Get it while it lasts. Call Anthony Arger at (775) 750-6545 and tell him Jason sent you. Don't miss out on some great wines and great prices. The prices below are the retail prices BEFORE the sale. Sale price is only for single cases of one varietal/type of wine. No mixed cases.

2009 ILIAD (Proprietary White Blend) ~ Mendocino

The Iliad is a proprietary white blend, which complements our proprietary red blend and estate reserve, the Odyssey. Representing the true art of winemaking, this blend achieves a body, flavor and richness that proves superior to any of its individual varietal components. Harvested from select vineyards in Napa and Mendocino counties, the four aromatic varietals that compose the Iliad are Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat. The bouquet is truly exotic with an immediate impression of melon, pear and even coconut. The mouthfeel is very rich with hints of tropical spice, which suggests Viognier first, then Gewurtztraminer, and finally, a hint of grapefruit from the Sauvignon Blanc. There is a small amount (less than one-half of one percent) of residual sugar, which enhances the richness on the palate. This is the perfect wine to accompany any lighter dish or simply to “sip” on the veranda. $24.99

2005 PINOT NOIR (Estate) ~ Carneros

Our 2005 Pinot Noir was harvested on September 22 from our traditional source in Carneros. Picked at 24.5 Brix and with excellent acidity levels, the grape cluseters were destemmed, cold-macerated for 48 hours, and then fermented for 16 days on the skins. Once finished, the grapes were gently pressed and finally placed in 100% French Nevers Oak for 14 months. Of note is the color of the wine, which is garnet, not black. The bouquet has a cloak of rich, red fruits from raspberry to red currant. The mouthfeel is smooth and silky with a generous sweet mid-palate that supports an elegant structure with softer tannins. The flavors are dominated by dark cherry, plums and hints of toastiness. Drinkable now, winemaker Kosta Arger believes the wine will continue to mature and improve over the next five years. $27.99

2005 SYRAH (Estate) ~ Atlas Peak

2008 Orange County Fair Gold Medal Winner
2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Silver Medal Winner

The 2005 Syrah was harvested on November 2nd from our Odyssey Vineyard on Atlas Peak. This vineyard is situated 1,350 feet above the valley floor. The grapes were de-stemmed then cold-macerated for 3 days then fermented for an additional 25 days on the skins. While the 2004 was a classic Napa style Syrah, the 2005 is a bigger mouthful. A bit richer in texture, it gives off the classic white pepper bouquet with hints of black cherry. This wine was so intense we blended it with 4% Merlot to soften it a bit. The result is a rich-textured mouth feel with flavors of cherry and leather that linger on the palate. $24.99

2005 CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Estate) ~ Atlas Peak

Wine Enthusiast Rated 93 Points (December 2009)
2009 California State Fair Wine Competition Gold Medal Winner

The 2005 harvest was one of the finest in recent memory for the Napa Valley. Most of the harvest was done under perfect conditions. Our Cabernet Sauvignon was hand-picked on October 23-24 at 24.9 brix from our Odyssey Vineyard on Atlas Peak. The grapes were de-stemmed then cold-macerated for 72 hours in small lots, then fermented “on the skins” for 25 days. The wine was aged in our customary combination of Seguin-Moreau French Nevers Oak, 40%, Hungarian Oak, 40% and American Oak, 20% for 22 months. The final blend was made in April, 2007 and bottled in September 2007. This 2005 consists of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. The bouquet literally jumps from the glass with leathery and plumb overtones. The mouthfeel, or texture, is luscious with nuances of chocolate and cinnamon on the palate. The low yields from our hillside vineyard, which is 1,350 feet above the valley floor, and our clone selection combine to give this wine an intense concentration, unique to great Napa Valley Cabernet. $39.99

2005 ODYSSEY (Estate) ~ Atlas Peak

Wine Enthusiast Rated 93 Points & Cellar Selection (December 2009)

We consider our Odyssey to be the ultimate in a proprietary estate red wine. This premium wine represents a consistent house style representing Arger-Martucci Vineyards and is 100% estate grown. The grapes are hand-picked from our Odyssey Vineyards, 1,350 feet above the valley floor on Atlas Peak. The Cabernet Sauvignon, composing 39% of the blend, is selected primarily from the French 337 clone planted on a single section of the vineyard. The remainder of this blend is composed of 31% Cabernet Franc, 28% Merlot, 1% Petite Verdot and 1% Syrah. The wine was aged 22 months in predominately French Nevers and Hungarian Oak. The richness of the 2005 vintage is immediately noticeable in this blend. While the characteristics of classic Napa Cabernet are present, no single varietal dominates the blend. The result is an elegant feel in the mouth with nuances of cinnamon and black cherry on the palate. We create our premium estate red to be immediately appealing, yet the soft tannins which result from extended maceration and barrel-aging will make this wine very age-worthy. $49.99 (Corked Wine Blog Favorite)

2005 CABERNET FRANC (Estate) ~ Atlas Peak

The 2005 Cabernet Franc was harvested on October 23rd at 24.7 brix with excellent acidity levels. Consistent with our low-yield philosophy, only 2.5 tons per acre were produced from our mountainside vineyard on Atlas Peak. The clusters were de-stemmed, cold-soaked for 72 hours and then fermented on the skins for an extended maceration period of 25 days. This prolonged skin to juice contact enables us to extract the maximum intensity which is evident in the intense color and flavor. This wine was barrel-aged in 40% Hungarian oak, 40% French Nevers oak, and 20% American oak. Winemaker Kosta Arger considers oak aging similar to a “spice-rack” in cooking - each type of oak adds different layers of flavor to the profile of the wine. To soften the mouth feel and add complexity, 4% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon were added to the wine. The bouquet gives intense black cherry with nuances of tobacco and vanilla. The wine finishes with phenomenal richness and texture with hints of cherry and leather. $34.99

2005 PETITE SYRAH ~ Calistoga

2009 West Coast Wine Competition Silver Medal Winner

The Petite Syrah grapes were harvested from 140 year old vines situated in Calistoga. Vines of this age are extremely shy-bearing, producing approximately 4 to 6 clusters per vine. The grapes were harvested on October 27th then cold macerated for 2 days, and fermented on the skins for an additional 24 days. The wine was aged in 100% French Oak for 18 months. The color is almost black as one would expect. The bouquet is that of green olives and intense black pepper with hints of tar and smokiness. The texture is a bit more austere than the 2004, yet still gives a big mouthful of rich Petite Syrah flavors true to the varietal. $44.99

2006 DULCINEA (Late Harvest) ~ California

The 2006 Dulcinea is comprised of 90 % Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillion, harvested at 35 Brix. The residual sugar was 10.2% by weight. Each grape variety was heavily botrytis and individual bunches were hand selected. The entire clusters were placed in the press and gently squeezed for 3 hours. The wine was then aged in small French and American oak barrels for 19 months. This wine is an incredibly rich, sauternes-style dessert wine. The bouquet gives immediate apricots and peaches that follow through on the palate. The texture is rich, but not cloying on the palate. The complexity of flavors is quite remarkable – peaches, a touch of tropical, and a hint of nutmeg. $39.99.

Heron Hill Winery

2011-03-31T15:01:00.002-04:00

Although a neighboring state, we rarely see wines from the Finger Lakes region of New York here in southern Connecticut. One fellow blogger, Joe from Why Wine Blog, has been telling me about the great wines from this region for a few years now. Heron Hill Winery from Hammondsport, NY sent a few bottles for me to try. Heron Hill Winery was started in 1977 and still run by the husband and wife team of John and Josephine Ingle. Although John moved to Denver to go to college, he returned to his "roots", literally. John grew up in nearby Pittsford. When Heron Hill opened, they suprising focused on Rieslings and Chardonnays. They were considered the flagship of Finger Lake Rieslings. Heron Hill and it's Rieslings gained national attention in 2004 for their outstanding 2002 vintage. John is a popular person in this region, not only for his wines, but also his sustainability and organic farming methods for both grapes and food. However, when it comes to the wines, he quickly gives credit to his winemakers Thomas Laszlo and Bernard Cannac. In addition to impressive wines, the Heron Hill Winery was selected as one of the Top 10 Most Spectacular tasting rooms in the the world by Travel + Leisure Magazine. Only two US wineries made this list.

NY is home to 1,000 vineyards and 120 wineries. The warm days and cool nights around the lakes and the hilly terrain in the Fingers Lake Region is similar to some of Europe's grape growing regions. In fact, it is actually on the same latitude as Germany, which is often thought of when mentioning Rieslings. The Ingle Vineyards are on the west side of the Canandaigua Lake.

2007 Ingle Vineyard Riesling - This medium-bodied riseling had a nice soft nose of grapefruit, lemon and melon along with some stoney/slate from the terroir. On the palate, the melon and lemon were predominant but also some green apple, grapefruit and lime. This riesling was not as sweet as the previously posted French riesling. There was nice acidity and long finish. Very well structured. This wine received a 91 Point rating from both Wine Spectator and Wine & Spirits. Nice wine for appetizers or salad, Chesapeake Bay crabs with seasoning, cajun spiced scallops or even a bratwurst on the grill. This nice dry wine will get even better with another 3 years of aging.

2008 Ingle Vineyard Chardonnay (Unoaked) - This unoaked chardonnay really allowed the rocky terroir to show thru in the taste. Additionally, there were more green herb aromas and tastes, along with the light citrus. This wine, for our taste, would be a pass next time. The 2008 Unoaked Chardonnay retails for $15.

2007 Ingle Vineyard Cabernet Franc - This was our favorite of the four wines. The medium to full bodied blend consists of 83% cabernet franc, 12% cabernet sauvignon and 5% merlot. The plum and cherry aromas were followed by lots of juicy blue and black fruit along with a hint of anise and white pepper. The eurpoean oak also gave a nice final flavor and the tannins were very smooth. Perfect for a stew or filet. The 2007 Cabernet Franc retails for $15. A nice buy at this price.

2007 Ingle Vineyard Pinot Noir - This Pinot Noir reminded me alot of the French Pinot Noir by Gustave Lorentz, in the fact that it was a lighter colored and lighter bodied Pinot than we are used to here in the US. The aromas of cherries, strawberries and raspberries were predominant upon opening followed by herbal tea and some light oak from the 1-2 year old European barrels. The red fruits followed thru along with some earthiness and a slight coffee taste. This would pair well with a game bird such as quail or pheasant or a thicker fish like swordfish or salmon. The 2007 Pinot Noir retails for $15-$17.

Dievole Chianti Classico "Novecento" Riserva DOCG 2004

2011-03-29T15:01:00.004-04:00

A few years ago while on vacation, we were introduced to the Dievole wines. The Plenum Quartus by Dievole (blog review posted 5/20/09) is still one of our favorite wines. This week we tried the 2004 "Novecento" which is a medium bodied blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% other estate grapes from the Sessina and Massoni vineyards. 2004 was a mixed vintage throughout Europe but was a very good year in the Tuscan region. This ruby red wine is a little darker than most Chianti's. The Sangiovese grape was considered one of the first grapes harvested by the Romans and possibly earlier. The grape is actually a cross between a Tuscan grape and a grape from southern Italy. The wine opened with a mild nose of red and black fruits, along with some coffee. On the palate, there were more intense plum, prune and cherry flavors along with dark chocolate and some slight oakiness. The acidity on this wine was rather high and the finish was more assertive than other Chianti's. It also has a 13.5% alcohol content. We were rushed for time last night so we didn't get to decant this wine, but I would recommend opening an hour before serving. Overall, the regular $46 retail price is too high for this wine, as was the $29 "on-sale" price. There are better Chianti's out there for this price. Two thumbs down at our house.

Gustave Lorentz

2011-03-24T22:36:00.006-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure of having dinner with Pascal Schiele from the Gustave Lorentz winery in France.    Let me begin with a little background on Pascal.  He was born and raised in the Alsace region and grew up with many winemakers in the family. Both his great grandfather and grandfather were winemakers and two of his uncles are still winemakers. Pascal started in the wine exporting business in 1996 and moved to Gustave Lorentz wines in 2001. Today, he is the Export Director for the winery. They currently export to 55 countries, and although only the 8th largest exporter of Alsace wines to the US, they will definitely crack the top 5 with the help of their new US Distributor, Quintessential Wines.
The Gustave Lorentz winery is located in Bergheim commune (village) in Haut-Rhin in north-eastern France near the Rhine River and the German and Swiss borders. Although there were over 160 Alsace villages growing vines in the first millennium, the re-birth of the Alsace came after World War I when the winegrowers adopted a "quality first" policy. This policy was reinforced by delimitation of the vineyard area, and by strict enforcement of production and vinification legislation. These efforts were officially rewarded by Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) status: AOC Alsace in 1962, AOC Alsace Grand Cru in 1975 and AOC Cremant d'Alsace in 1976.
The Lorentz family has been in the wine making business since 1836 and today is the largest family owned producer in Alsace bottling over 150,000 cases.    Gustave Lorentz's Estates vineyard represent 32 hectares (79 acres), of which 1.5 (3.71 acres) are planted on the hills of the Grand Cru Kanzlerberg and 13 hectares (29.65 acres) in the Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim. In addition, they also buy grapes from another 120 hectares, which are almost exclusively based in Bergheim. Although they are the largest family business, they don't sacrifice the quality of their wines. They employ state-of-the-art vinification techniques and equipment and was among the first producers in the Alsace to use stelvin (screw-cap) closures on their wines. In 2009, the winery entered into a partnership with Ecocert to have their entire Estate vineyards certified organic beginning with the 2012 vintage. The winery is managed by Georges Lorentz, who is the 7th generation in this family run business.
During our tasting, we sampled 10 wines and paired them with different plates of food:
Cremant d' Alsace (non-vintage) - This is a sparkling wine with small soft bubbles that is made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Blanc and 33% Pinot Noir. Like Champagne, this sparkling wine goes thru two fermentation processes with daily bottle rotation, going from horizontal to vertical. I am not a big fan of Champagne or sparkling wines but I found myself going back for more. Additionally, the $24.99 price is substantially less than Champagne. Give it a try.
2009 Pinot Gris Reserve - This 100% Pinot Gris had a golden color with hints of white fruit and a touch of honey. Very fruit forward and semi-dry.
2007 Pinot Gris "Schofweg" (single vineyard) - This was a very nice Pinot Gris that was well structured and fuller bodied than the Reserve.  Although these were from two different vineyards, both had notes of the limestone which is common to this region. Both of the Pinot Gris would go well with appetizers, cheeses or seafood, especially with scallops. The Reserve retails for $23.99 and the Schofweg retails for $29.99. For the extra $6, go for the "Schofweg". This received a 91 point rating from Wine Spectator.
2009 Pinot Blanc Reserve - was also a very nice Pinot Blanc that was not as dry as the Pinot Gris. It was very fruit forward with lots of citrus, especially lemon along with white peach and a hint of grapefruit. The flavors of this progressed with some spiciness that was perfect with the crisp acidity. I would recommend this wine, which retails for $19.99.
2009 Riesling Reserve - is their entry level Riesling. They produce about 160,000 cases of this wine of this medium to fuller body Riesling. It has a refreshing acidity and a nice dry finish. There was some tartness of green apples and a slight unappealing aftertaste. This is a basic Riesling that retails for $23.99.
2005 Riesling Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim - This was probably my 2nd highest ranked wine of the night. This is a must buy, even though it retails for $49.99. Only 1,000 cases were produced.
2009 Gewurztraminer Reserve - again the entry level wine, was more than entry level. It had a wonderful nose of fresh flowers and tropical fruits that followed onto the palate along with some spiciness and orange peels.  The grapes for this wine come from 30-50 year old vines. This well structured wine retails for $23.99.
2006 Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim - This, along with the Riesling Grand Cru were my two favorites. This is the real deal!!! A nice semi-dry wine with great tropical fruit aromas and tropical fruit flavors. This golden yellow wine was perfectly structured with a long finish. This will be great for the next 5 years. The perfect pairing for many foods from appetizers to white meats and sausages to seafood to spicy ethnic dishes. The 2006 Grand Cru retails for $59.99.
2008 Pinot Noir Reserve. This was the first red of the evening. I paired this with a steak and it was the perfect match. It could be served with other red meats, but will also go really well with veal and lamb. I was expecting a bigger wine like the West Coast US Pinot Noirs but this was a softer, less in-your face wine. As the meal went on, this wine became more expressive and more enjoyable. Be sure to decant this wine for 30 minutes. The Pinot Noir Reserve is an un-oaked wine with raspberry and cherry aromas and a hint of red currants. The red fruits continued onto the palate.  Surprisingly, it was better chilled than slightly warmer. Although it is very drinkable now, I think a few more years will bring the best out of this wine. The 2008 retails for $23.99.
Cremant d' Alsace Rose (non-vintage) - This Cremant is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. This sparkling rose wine had a nose of cranberries and red rose petals. Although it was well received by many dinner guests, this one did not work for me.   It was a little too sweet for me and, as mentioned earlier, sparkling wines are generally not my favorite.  The Cremant d' Alsace retails for $24.99.
Overall, I was quite impressed with the Gustave Lorentz wines and would strongly recommend you picking some up.   The Lorentz family takes pride in their food friendly wines. They are served in the small Brasserie to the highly rated Michelin stared restaurants in France.   Thank you to Lorraine and to Pascal for inviting me to this enjoyable dinner and for the introduction to some very good wines. I look forward to a tour of the winery this summer.

Koyle & Terrapura

2010-06-23T01:45:00.006-04:00

Last week, Cristobal Undurraga was back in the States and invited me to dinner at Churrascaria Braza in Hartford, CT. I met Cristobal last fall for the first time and jumped at the opportunity to join him again. His love and passion for wine can't be matched. The famed Undurraga family has been making wines for six generations dating back to 1885 with their first imports to the US in 1903. The family sold the eponymous winery, vineyards and family name to a banking consortium two years ago. As the old saying goes, "you can't keep a good man down". Shortly after the family business was sold, Cristobal, his father and two brothers jumped right back into the business with the Koyle and Terrapura wines and continue to carry on the quality wines that were always associated with the Undurraga name. In addition to having wine in his veins, Cristobal has learned the business from some of the best around the world having worked at Franciscan Winery in Napa, CA; Rosemont Wines in Barossa Valley, Australia; Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux, France and Vina Kaiken in Mendoza, Argentina.

We started the evening with the 2009 Terrapura Sauvignon Blanc that was produced by Cristobal's brother Alfonso. I had tasted this last year with Cristobal and thought it was a nice wine, but it was even better this time around. There is plenty of grapefruit, lime and kiwi on the nose and a hint of summer flowers. The flavors of this 100% sauvignon blanc include the grapefruit and lime, along with some lemon, orange peel and lemongrass. It is a light bodied sauvignon blanc with perfect acidity. Great for appetizers or would pair well with a shell fish dish or a mild fish. A must try. The 2009 Terrapura Sauvignon Blanc retails for $10.

Next came the 2009 Terrapura Carmenere. Carmenere is a grape that is finally starting to get recognized. As I mentioned in my previous post, this grape was originally grown in the Bordeaux region of France until it was almost wiped out by disease in the mid 1860's. There has been long speculation as to the grape as a possible clone but in 1998 it was officially recognized by the Chilean Department of Agriculture as a separate distinct variety. This wine is aged in steel tanks for four months with innerstaves of French and American oak. The Carmenere has a very deep red color and starts off with some strawberries, cherries and spicy peppers and then a hint of chocolate. This silky wine had a medium body filled with red fruits and a touch of tobacco and a slight cedar flavor on the back end. In my opinion, the 2009 we tasted at this meal was better than the 2008 we had last year. Cristobal told me that the 2009 season was a warmer season and and the grapes developed better. The tannins were much smoother and the tastes reminded me of a nice French wine, although it is from Chile. The 2009 Carmenere retails for $10. A great pairing for lamb chops.

Now we switch to Cristobal's Koyle wines.   One trait that he seems to maintain from his days in the Bordeaux region of France is blending of wines. The first wine from this label was the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This was one of my favorites last year, and it didn't leave me down this year. This dark ruby colored wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Carmenere that came from two regions in Chile - Maipo and Colchagua Valley. There was a wonderful blackberry and blueberry aroma along with tobacco and coffee. The Carmenere added some spiciness to the taste. 60% of the wine is aged in French oak for 12 months and the remaining 40% is aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the aroma and taste of the grape varietals. They recommend decanting this wine for at least 30 minutes before serving and also feel that this will cellar well for another 5 years. Only 4,000 cases of the Cabernet Sauvignon were produced and it retails for $17. A must buy. The restaurant owner said he normally does not like cabernets, but he really did enjoy these. They are not as hearty as the CA Cabernets, but are just as good. Wine Spectator rated this 87 points.

Next up, the Koyle Syrah 2007. This was the first vintage of this wine and is a blend of 87% Syrah and 13% Carmenere. It is dark violet in color with creamy, intense cassis and graphite notes, along with some chocolate and toasty oak on the nose and palate. The tannins were still a little chewy on this vintage, like the previous tasting, but should evolve nicely over the next 5-10 years. This is slightly less acidic than the Cabernet. The Carmenere really started to stand out this time around. Be sure to decant the Syrah at least 30 minutes prior to serving, but 60 minutes is better if you have the time. Again, only 4,000 cases were produced. The 2007 Syrah retails for $17. Wine Spectator rated this 86 points.

Many producers call their better wines Reserves or Reservas, Cristobal calls his Royale. Great name!!! The 2007 Royale Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec and 6% Carmenere. The Cabernet grapes are harvested from vines planted in the early 20th century. This dark ruby Cabernet has a complex aroma of black currants, blackberry, violet and black tea. The black fruits continue onto the palate along with some spiciness from the Carmenere, followed by a nice long lingering finish. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. The barrels included 20% new oak, 20% 1 year used, 20% 2 years used and 40% 3+ years. Again, be sure to decant this wine. The 2007 Royale Cabernet, which retails for $26.  This is a great bargain buy. If it was from CA, it would likely retail for around $50+. It pairs nicely with a beef tenderloin or fillet. This was my favorite of the Kolye wines. Wine Enthusiast rated this 92 points and Wine Spectator rated this 89 points. Blogger Top 10!

The last wine of the evening was the 2007 Koyle Royale Syrah which is a blend of 85% Syrah, 11% Malbec and 4% Carmenere. I was curious to try this again as the last time it opened with a big nose of grilled meats. This time, it was still there but not as pronounced as last year. The extra bottle time seems to be reducing that aroma. Now I picked up more of the cherry and mulberry aromas along with some herbs and a little chocolate. In addition to the blackberry flavors from the Syrah, the Malbec and Carmenere added some plum, cedar and peppery flavors. As with the Royale Cabernet, this wine was also aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. This is a very complex wine that should age well. This Syrah also retails for $26.00 This is a a perfect match for a stew or red meats. Wine Spectator rated this 85 points.

On your next visit to your local wine store, be sure to ask if they carry Terrapura or Koyle wines.   You can check out some of my other Koyle and Terrapura wine reviews in my October 11, 2009 posting, or click on Chile in the "Labels" section on the sidebar. Thanks Cristobal for another great evening of conversation and tasty wines. I look forward to visiting Chile next Spring.

All of these wines are imported by Quintessential Wines. See sidebar link for their entire portfolio.

Finger Lakes Riesling Festival

2010-06-14T09:30:00.007-04:00

The second annual Finger Lakes Riesling Festival will take place on August 14-15 along Lakeshore Drive and Kershaw Park in Canandaigua, NY. This year, you will be able to sample wines from more than 14 local producers. In addition to great wines, there will be live entertainment, an arts and crafts marketplace, and a farmers market with outstanding local foods. Other events include:

• The Wegmans New York State Craft Beer Tent on Saturday, August 14. Festival-goers will have the chance to sample beer from local brweeries in the Wine Garden while enjoying live entertainment.

• A Battle of The Bands Competition for local bands to participate in on Saturday, August 14. A prize package valued at $1,000 will be awarded to the winning band from Mobile Music in Canandaigua.

• Horse-drawn carriage rides up and down Lakeshore Drive (which will be closed to traffic) for the entire family to enjoy.

• A Classic Car Show on Sunday, August 15. Pre-registration is required and the entry fee is only $10. Awards will be given for best in show.

Mark your calendars!!! Come on out to the 2nd Annual Finger Lakes Riesling Festival on August 14-15 and taste some of the best US Rieslings, along with other entertainment for the entire family.

Santorini Assyrtiko 2008

2010-06-10T18:35:00.002-04:00

The latest addition to the BrandAction Team's account is the Santo Wines from Santorini. SantoWines is a 2,500 member cooperative dating back to 1947 and is the largest wine producer on the Greek island. Myth has it that Santorini was made from a handful of dust dropped into the Aegean Sea. Santorini wines date back to the 3rd millennium B.C. as evidenced from vines and grape drawings that have been exhumed by archaeologist. This wine is made from 100% assyrtiko grapes, which is a new varietal for us, so I had to do a little research. The grapes are golden yellow with lots of acidity. 80% of the grapes grown in Santorini are assyrtiko. Many get blended with other grapes, as well as used for dessert wines. The vines are grown and pruned in a low circular format just above ground level, which is known as kouloura, instead of the higher trellises normally seen. This helps prevent the vines from being damaged from the high winds off the sea. Also, the vines are planted in a very lava rich soil which, unfortunately, seemed to give the wine a unusual stony aftertaste. The nose on this wine is of slightly fragrant flowers with some honey and herbs. On the palate, there were plenty of citrus flavors that reminded me a bit of a French Sauternes, but the flavors were extremely short lived and then you are hit with the aftertaste I mentioned. Overall, for our tastes, this was an interesting wine to try but we probably would not go out of our way to find it. We served is with tilapia which was a good pairing for this wine. I would probably serve it with some shell fish or a mild white fish. Thanks Constance for the opportunity to try this Greek wine. The Santorini Assyrtiko 2008 retails for about $15.

Fattoria dei Barbi 2006

2010-06-04T01:08:00.002-04:00

This is a family that needs no introduction. The Colombini family has owned land in Tuscany since 1352, and purchased Fattoria di Barbi in 1790. Today, the winery is operated by Stefano Colombini who is the 20th generation of wine producers in the family. The Fattoria dei Barbi label is probably best known for their Brunello di Montalcino. However, if you can find the 2006 Morrelino di Scansano, be sure to give this wine a try. It is a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot with wonderful aromas of cherries, blackberries and blueberries, along with the Tuscan earthiness of mushrooms growing in the barnyard. You might pick up a small amount of vanilla from the oak. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has some bing cherry flavors combined with blackberries and plums, along with a hint of spices and black tea. The tannins were realtively smooth but the acidity was a slight bit high for my taste. Be sure to decant this wine for at least 30 miutes. We served this with a flank steak and a mint chimichuri sauce, and it was the perfect match. Would also be a great match for a pasta dish. The Morrelino di Scansano retails for $15. Give this a try.

Grooner Gruner Veltliner 2009

2010-04-28T00:13:00.002-04:00

Now this is an eye catching label. "Perfect for Parties, Great with Food, and Picnics Too" is shown in three boxes on the label. And the young woman on the label "grooning" is actually the label designer, Toni Silver. This wine was produced by Meinhard Forstreiter from the Kremstal region in northern Austria along with Monika Caha who was looking to create a wine that could be marketed specifically to the US wine drinkers. I think she got our attention. This wonderful crisp and refreshing 100% Gruner Veltliner starts off with a very fruity aroma of pears, apples, lemon zest and a peppery mango. The flavors were just as robust as the nose with sour green apples that I used to eat from my grandparents trees, pineapple, citrus and a flowery honey along with a hint of pepper. The acidity was a little overwhelming but still a nice crisp summer wine. There was a small amount of bitterness on the back end. I would probably not take this to a picnic unless you could leave it in the ice box with the beer. This needs to stay cold. We served it with marinated mahi-mahi tonight and it was a good pairing. With the tartness, give this a try with an Asian / Thai inspired dish. The incredible sauces from these dishes would be a great match for this wine. Would, of course, go well with other seafood or shellfish dishes. The 2009 Grooner Gruner Veltliner retails for about $12. Give this a try. I want to thank Constance (Brand Action Team) for sending me this to taste and review.

Ruffino Il Ducale Toscana 2006

2010-04-25T20:39:00.001-04:00

I have had my share of Ruffio Chianti wines over the years, but have never had this blend. Ruffino winery in Tuscany has been producing wines for over 130 years. The Il Ducale is a wonderful blend of 60% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot and 20% Syrah. This burgundy colored medium-bodied wine has a nice bouquet of fresh blackberries, black currants, plums and plenty of earthiness that I look for in Italian wines. Every sip you take, you get a nose that only Italian wines can give. If you love Italian wines like we do, you know the aroma. The blackberry and currant flavors carry over onto the palate along with lots of raisins, cherries, and some notes of pepper and chococolate with a little toasted oak on the back. The flavors stay with this wine for a nice finish and has relatively soft tannins. The Syrah certainly brings some nice spiciness to it. We served this with a skirt steak grilled over a wood fire. As you know, skirt steak is a thin cut of beef and is very tender and juicy if cooked properly. A full bodied wine would be too much for this meat. This would also go well with pork, veal or chicken. Even if you are not a Chianti drinker, give this blend a try. You could hold onto this a little longer, but it is certainly ready to be enjoyed now. The 2006 Ruffino Il Ducale retails for about $14.

Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc 2008

2010-04-16T00:41:00.000-04:00

Last week's 92 degrees got me thinking about some new summer wines. What would be a nice light-bodied, crisp, refreshing white wine that could be enjoyed as an aperitif on the patio or served with dinner? I have had other wines by the Chilean Vina Los Vascos-Peralillo winery, but never the Sauvignon Blanc. A more recognizable name on the label is Domaines Barons De Rothschild (Lafite) who manages this property and supervises in the winemaking. Just like their great French wines, this is the perfect summer wine. The color is very clear and brilliant with just a hint of green. The pineapple, lime, grapefruit and lemon aromas just explode from the bottle when the cork is popped. The fruits don't stop there as they hit the palate along with some mango and granny smith apple on the mid palate and green herbs and a small amount of stone on the back end. The Central Valley is one of the largest grape regions in Chile which is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains. This would be the perfect wine for relaxing along the Ocean, or on the patio. It has a well balance acidity and crisp refreshing flavors that last longer than the wine. I highly recommend this wine. BUT, be sure to keep it cold. The 2008 Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc was given a 90 point rating by Wine & Spirits. This is a steal at $10.

Ballentine Vineyards Petite Sirah 2006

2010-04-15T02:32:00.002-04:00

Another very nice Petite Sirah that was provided by Ballentine Vineyards for review. The Ballantine Vineyard dates back more than 100 years between the Pocai family and the Ballentine's. Today, Betty and Van Ballentine run the winery. In 1992, they reopened the winery and released their first vintage. Previously, the family had sold grapes to major wineries including Mondavi, Rombauer, Caymus, Rosenblum and Ravenswood. The 2006 Petite Sirah was harvested from the Fig Tree Vineyard in St. Helena which took its name from two old fig trees located on the eastern edge of the vineyard. This big and bold wine has a dark red color with aromas of blackberries and blueberries, along with some black pepper and a subtle hint of oak. On the palate, there were lots of dark jammy fruits of black cherries, blackberries, mullberries and plums. Then in the mid palate, a sweetness kicked in of raspberry and bing cherries. The end was finished off with some pepper and spices from the rack, along with a minimal amount of oak. The wine was barrelled for 16 months in French oak barrels, of which 15% was new French oak. The tannins were pretty firm and, although the alcohol content is 14.7%, it did not overpower the wine. Overall, a nice petite sirah that needs some more time in the cellar. A great wine for the upcoming grilling season. Would also pair nicely with a beef stew or goulash. Only 300 cases of the 2006 Petite Sirah Fig Tree Vineyard was produced. It retails for $35, which in my opinion is a little too high for this wine. Wine Enthusiast gave the 2006 vintage a 91 point rating. We enjoyed this wine and would recommend you picking it up too.

Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel 2006

2010-04-06T23:32:00.000-04:00

Recently while stocking up at BevMax, the distributor for Rancho Zabaco's Sonoma Heritage Zinfandel was pouring samples. I picked up a few bottles for an upcoming get together with some of our friends. This wine is a full-bodied zinfandel with big blackberry aroma along with some spices from the spice rack. The flavors were very fruit forward with juicy cherries and blueberry. On the mid-palate is some earthy spices along with a hint of chocolate and just the right amount of oakiness on the back end. The tannins were relatively smooth and the flavors were long lasting but with a few extra years this should evolve into a really nice wine. Like many of the CA Zins, it has a 15% alcohol content. Our friends were not Zinfandel drinkers previously so I was concerned how it would go over. It received nothing but good reviews. It really hit the spot with the chocolate dessert. This would pair nicely with grilled meats or stews, and a nice chocolate dessert. Be sure to decant this wine for 1-2 hours. Overall a nice Zinfandel for $12. Wine Enthusiast rates this 89 points, and I would have to agree.

LB Sauvignon Blanc 2007

2010-03-30T01:38:00.004-04:00

I was recently passing thru Armonk, NY and noticed a new wine store called Moderne Barn Wines & Spirits (see sidebar). So of course I had to stop. I asked the owner, Diana , which white and red wines she would recommend. (The red will be posted later) The only caveat I made was it could not be a Pinot Grigio. She suggested a South African Sauvignon Blanc from the LB Vineyards. The LB Vineyards is another wine produced by the Bouma family who has owned and operated the Anura Vineyards in the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountain range north of Cape Town since 1990. LB is named for Lance Bouma, son of Tymen & Jenny Bouma that run the Anura Vineyard. In addition to the two vineyards, Anura has a second label called Frog Hill. In a recent blind taste test between South African and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the judges split. Surprise Surprise that the New Zealand judge picked their own and the South African judge picked their own. The aromas of this pale yellow wine are fruity with citrus and melon along with some herbs and asparagus. The flavors were a refreshing lemon-lime, pineapple and grapefruit along with some grassy tones and more minerality than I have tasted in the New Zealand wines. It had a nice crisp acidity and quite dry. We paired this with tilapia. Would also go well with other fish, shell fish, white meats or even an appetizer plate. If you haven't had a Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa, give this one a try. Overall, an easy drinking and enjoyable wine. Only 400 cases were made. It retails for about $12.

The Red Virgin

2010-03-26T11:21:00.000-04:00

As a first time poster for Wine Blogging Wednesday hosted this month by Joe Roberts from 1WineDude, the topic is "what wine would you pick to introduce a white wine drinker to red wines?" This was a tough one. I would not want to blow them away with a big Cabernet Sauvignon or Petite Sirah or go too light such as a Rose. It is tough to pass up an Italian Brunello or Barolo but I will save them for their second tasting. So, I will go in the middle with a Spanish Tempranillo. The nose on these wines are full of fresh red fruits and the flavors are just as ripe with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries along with some slight spiciness. You could also add a little Garnacha or Mazeulo. The tannins are soft and approachable and the acidity is generally well balanced. Several of my favorites that were previously posted that I would recommend are the 2003 Cigales Museum Real Reserva, the 2004 Ondarre Rioja Reserva, the 2004 Allende, or the 2004 Tinto Figuero 15. Welcome to the the other side.

Chateau Bellefont-Belcier 2004

2010-03-22T23:05:00.001-04:00

I have to admit, I picked up this bottle because of the label. I was raised in a small town in PA called Bellefonte, so of course seeing a label with the name on it was a must buy. The Chateau Bellefonte-Belcier estate dates back to the 17th century and was founded by Count Louis François de Belcier. Our tasting of this wine was over a two day period. This medium to full bodied St. Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux is from the Libournais region in France. It has a dark purple color and is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It starts off with a big nose of black fruits, cassis, leather and dark chocolate, along with a hint of vegetables from the Cabernet Franc. The flavors were filled with black fruits, black cherries and plenty of smokey oak, along with some mushroom/earthiness flavors. The tannins were very chewy the first day but mellowed slightly on the second day. Additionally, I thought there was some extra acidity on the back end along with a slight bitterness. I would hold this for another 3-5 years. I think the 2004 has great potential and rumor has it the 2005 is exceptional. I have the 2005 vintage in the cellar and look forward to comparing the two. However, I think I will hold off for a few more years. Spring arrived with some great weather for grilling. This is a nice bottle for grilled chicken, pork or veal. The Chateau Bellefont-Belcier reatils for about $34. Wine Spectator gave the 2004 a 90 point rating.

Domaine Mercouri 2005

2010-03-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, while staying at my brother's ski house, I had a Greek wine that I can actually say I liked this time. If you remember, I posted another greek wine that was terrible, so I didn't know what to expect this time. The bottle had been opened the night before we arrived so it had a little extra time to breathe. The 2005 Vin De Pays des Letrinon is made from a blend of Refosco, an Italian grape, and Mavrodaphne, a Greek grape. The winery was founded in 1864 by Theodoros Mercouri in southern Greece where he planted Refosco vines that he had carried over from Friuli, Italy. Following his death in 1897, his son Leonidas built the area's first modern winemaking facility which remained in operation until 1955. Between 1955 and 1989, the grapes from this estate were sold by Leonidas's daughters (Maria and Kate) to other winemakers. In 1990, under the new management of Kate's two sons Vassilis and Christos Kanellakopoulos, the entire facility was rebuilt. In 1992, part of the vines were also replanted. Today, instead of selling their grapes, they are making some nice wines. This 2005 vintage has a nice aroma of dried cherries and plums along with some leather and spices. On the palate, the medium bodied wine had a dark cherry and black raspberry flavor along with a mild white pepper and a hint of vanilla. This relatively dry wine had medium acidity but the flavors were relatively short lived. The tannins were very mild. Overall, it was an enjoyable every-day type red wine that could be paired with white meats or a pasta dish. If you are looking for something out of the normal grape varieties, give this one a try. I believe it retails for about $20.

GruV Olympics

2010-03-07T16:59:00.003-05:00

In following of the Olympics, we were invited by the Brand Action Team to participate in an Olympics of four Gruner Veltliners from Austria. Points were given for 10 different catagories and medals were awarded at the end.

In the starting gate, in Lane 1 was the 2008 Austrian Pepper produced by Weingut Pfaffl. In Lane 2 was the 2008 Lois produced by Fred Loimer. In Lane 3 was the 2008 GV Vienna Hills produced by Weingut Wieninger. And in the outside lane was the 2007 GV by Weingut Stadt Krems.

At the gun, Lois came out of the gate strong with a bright color and a well balanced sweetness and acidity but a slight bitterness. It had nice fruity flavors that were moderatly long. The Austrian Pepper quickly passed Lois in the first turn with a complex and peppery aroma followed by a silky body with a great balance in acidity and multi-layered flavors of fruits and pepper that continued well after the race. The Vienna Hills was third out of the gate and put up a nice run. It had a slightly larger aroma of fruits and pepper than Lois, but less than The Pepper. This contestant had a slight tartness in the aroma that the other two did not have. The flavors were robust and fruity but they did not last that long. Overall, a solid competitor. And finally, the Stadt Krems. This competitor was slow out of the gate with a mild aroma, a fairly well balanced sweetness but a slightly tart acidity. It's body was thin and lacking compared to the other three with a green underripe flavor that quickly faded. This was no match for the other three.

At the finish line, the Austrian Pepper held on to a slight lead to edge out Vienna Hills, followed by Lois in 3rd and Stadt Krems in a distant 4th. The Austrian Pepper received the gold medal while Vienna Hills and Lois each received ribbons.

Chile Earthquake Relief

2010-02-28T20:09:00.001-05:00

Today I received a message from Cristobal Undurraga from the Koyle Winery located just outside of Santiago Chile. Although he and his family are safe, many others nearby are not. He mentioned that some small towns nearby have been destroyed by the tsunami and the other destroyed by the earthquake. Finding water to drink is next to impossible. I am reaching out to all bloggers and readers to help our friends in Chile by donating to your favorite charity. Below are just a few that will immediately put your money to work. Thank you for your donations. Jason

•Text the word “CHILE” to 25383 to donate $10 on behalf of the Habitat for Humanity

•Text the word “CHILE” to 20222 to donate $10 on behalf of World Vision or http://www.worldvision.org/.

•Text the word “CHILE” to 52000 to donate $10 on behalf of the Salvation Army or 800-725-2769.

American Red Cross - 1-800-Help-Now or http://www.redcross.org/.

AmeriCares - 800-486-Help or http://www.americares.org/

Wines of Vienna

2010-02-26T16:34:00.001-05:00

The other day, I stopped by the Wines of Vienna tasting in NYC sponsored by David Bowler Wine. I have enjoyed alot of Austrian wines, both here in the States and abroad, but I have only had a couple Viennese wines while visiting there 6 years ago. Upon speaking with one of the Importers, he told me many of the wines from this region do not make it outside of Vienna. There seems to be a rivalry going on between the regions. That is too bad because I had some really nice wines at this tasting, of which all are now imported to the States. One wine that I was not familiar with was the Gemischter Satz. This is a blend of Gruner Veltliner and up to 40 other white varieties such as the Riesling, Welschriesking, Rotgipfler, Sauvigon Blanc just to name a few. There were too many wines to describe so here is a list of wineries who were pouring that day: Wingut Martinshof, Edlmoser, Goebel, Offner, Weingut Christ, Weingut Cobenzl, , Hajszan, Weingut Mayer am Pfarrplatz, Roes Haus which is a nich winery by Mayer am Pfarrplatz, Jutta Ambrositsch, and Zahel. Although all of these wines are from a very small region, they each had their own unique qualities. Surprisingly, the Weingut Cobenzl is actually owned by the City of Vienna. They took over this 80 hectare of vines to prevent urban development. If you can find any wines from the three small vineyard sites (Nussberg, Bisamberg or Mauer) surrounding Vienna, give them a try. For my taste, the Zahel wines were my favorite.

Tinto Figuero

2010-02-25T00:41:00.008-05:00

This past week, I had the opportunity to dine with Antonio Garcia Figuero and J. Felipe Martin Cabezon from Vinedos y Bodegas Garcia Figuero. The dinner was held at the Solera restaurant in NYC which is a Spanish tapas restaurant. Jose Maria Garcia and Milagros Figuero founded this family winery in 2001, although grape growing had been in the family for several generations. The day to day operations are handled by their three children and a son-in-law, but Jose still manages to keep his fingers in the business he loves. The Bodegas Garcia Figuero is located approximately 90 miles north of Madrid along the Deuro River in the Ribera del Duero region of Spain. Tempranillo is the most popular grape grown in this region and is widely known as the backbone to Rioja wines. Rioja is a city and region just northeast of Ribera del Duero.

During this dinner, we tasted four fabulous wines that are all 100% Tempranillo and all have been harvested from their Estate. As Felipe explained, they only produce a small amount of wines so their goal is to maintain consistency and quality. In fact, due to the poor weather conditions in 2007, they only produced the Tinto Figuero 4. Interestingly, instead of labeling them as Roble, Crianza and Reserva, they identify them as 4, 12, 15 and the top wine Noble. Each of these numbers actually refer to the amount of months the wine was barreled.

I originally tasted the 2006 Tinto Figuero 4 while visiting my wife's family in Switzerland. According to Felipe, Switzerland is one of their top selling markets. I was looking forward to this evening to try their other wines. My 2006 tasting was posted on August 14, 2009.

Tinto Figuero 4 (Roble) 2007 - this is their entry level wine, but by no means lacking of quality. It has a wonderful aroma of fresh raspberries and cranberries which followed over to the palate along with some black berries and licorice and a hint of the new oak and some earthiness. The grapes for this vintage comes from their younger vines of 10-20 years old. The acidity was minimal and the tannins were very smooth. The wine was aged for four months in new oak barrels, 85% American oak and 15% French oak. Prior to release, it is bottle aged for an additional four months. Less than 6,000 cases of the Tinto Figuero 4 were produced. This is a very nice wine, although I would choose the 2006 over the 2007. It retails for $20. This was served with several tapas and appetizers.

Tinto Figuero 12 (Crianza) 2005 - This deep ruby colored wine was the next step up in terms of structure and flavors. Once again the nose was full of berries, that carried over to the palate along with a handful of blueberries and a slight bit more oakiness. This time, the tannins were a little more chewy. The grapes for the "12" comes from 20-40 year old vines and were aged for 12 months in two-plus year old barrels (70% American and 30% French). It is then bottled aged for 2 additional years before being released for purchase. This wine really opened up to a delicious wine after about 1 hour. Be sure to decant the Tinto Figuero 12. It retails for $29. This was a perfect match for my pork tenderloin. I would also serve this with lamb chops, grilled chicken or a seafood paelle.

Tinto Figuero 15 (Reserva) 2004. The 2004 vintage according to Antonio was one of the best. And after having a glass of this vintage, I would agree. As with the last two wines, the vines are getting older. The grapes for the "15" came from vines more than 50 years old. The wine is aged for 15 months in American (90%) and French (10%) oak and then bottle aged for an additional 21 months prior to being released. This cherry-red wine had one of the best aromas that I have come across in a long time. The flavors were just as incredible. The black fruit flavors were well complimented by some cedar and a slight spiciness. Acidity was balanced and the tannins were perfectly structured. I think I can still taste the flavors after 2 days. This is an outstanding wine that retails for $54. Pair this with any hearty meat or stews. Just over 8,000 cases of the 2004 Tinto Figuero 15 were produced.

Tinto Figuero Noble 2004 - After the Tinto Figuero 15, I asked how could they take it up one more notch. Well, they did. This is the only label that did not refer to the length of barreling. However, the Noble was aged in barrels for 21 months, the first 15 in American oak and the last 6 months in French (Allier, Troncais, Romanian, Russian) oak. Then it is bottle aged for an additional 15 months prior to release. The nose opens with plenty of dark jammy fruit followed by some cigar and cedar notes and then some minty chocolate on the back end. The flavors mirrored the aromas along with some hearty oak. This was decanted for 3 hours prior to dinner and it was still opening up. If you aren't home during the day to open it, decant it before leaving for work in the morning. This is a very young wine that needs at least another 5 years of aging, if not another 10 years if you can wait. With a price tag of $130, this is a wine for a special occasion, like your wife's birthday. With slightly more than 1,100 cases produced, this might be hard to find.

It is not very often, maybe never, that you walk away from a tasting and say that every wine was delicious. I have to say, this is one of those times. Each glass just kept getting better. Although all four wines were made from 100% Tempranillo grapes from the same Estate, they each had some similarities, yet also their unique qualities. Part of this is due to the vintage, the amount of time exposed to oak and the age of the vines. Do yourself a favor and pick up some Tinto Figuero. You won't be disappointed.

Stanton Saint Helena Petite Sirah 2007

2010-02-23T22:36:00.002-05:00

Now this fits the category of big, dark and delicious. This wine is made by Dave Phinney, who you may know better from his Orin Swift wine label. The Stanton family has been growing grapes since 1947, but did not produce their first wine until 1999. All of their grapes prior to this time were sold to other winemakers including Caymus and Duckhorn. This 2007 Petite Sirah is a 100% varietal that was grown exclusively on the Stanton Estate Vineyard in St. Helena, Napa Valley. This dark inky colored wine hits you right out of the bottle with a BIG aroma of black fruits, along with black pepper and a hint of toasted oak. The flavors were just as bold with the layers of black fruits, along with a tad of sweetness from black currants, some nice spiciness, and a piece of dark chocolate on the back end. For such a big and young wine, the tannins were relatively smooth. However, I would recommend decanting this wine for at least an hour. Better yet, if you can hold off, I would put this Petite Sirah in the cellar and check back in another 5-7 years. These grapes came from vey young (6 year old) vines and were aged for 20 months in American and French oak barrels. This will pair well with filets with a peppercorn crust or some gamey meats. We served it with a spicy goulash with Hungarian paprika and it hit the spot. The 2007 Stanton Petite Sirah retails for $45, which is at the high end of the range for Petite Sirahs. Thank you Doug for your generous gift and introduction to your wines. We look forward to trying the rest of your wines and spreading the word. Cheers to Dave Phinney!!! This was a small production of only 300 cases so get them while they last.

Hopler Gruner Veltliner 2008

2010-02-14T18:01:00.003-05:00

One of my new favorite stores is All The Best Spirits in Riverside, CT which has recently re-opened following a fire that wiped out the store. This is also the store where I found the Ondarre Rioja (posted last night). Although they have the popular wines that most know, they have a nice selection of smaller boutique wineries that wine drinkers should become familiar with. While there, I ran across a bottle of the Hopler Gruner Veltliner. The GVs being produced right now in Austria are some wonderful, easy drinking white wines that are great for pairing with foods. This Hopler GV was an entry level wine with a light greenish yellow hue that had subtle aromas of apples and pears along with some soft lemon and lime and a hint of stoniness from the terroir. On the palate, the citrus fruits again were lighter than I had expected. The crispness that I have had in other GVs was also missing. The Hopler GV is very light in structure and acidity, along with a mere 11% alcohol content. Additionally, the finish was very short. A Chardonnay drinker might like this but a Sauvignon Blanc drinker will probably not like it. Overall, we weren't excited about this wine but it is an easy drinking white if you are looking for something different. However, the $17 price tag is too high for this wine. Pair this with a milder cheese or a mild white fish.

Bodegas Ondarre Rioja Reserva 2002

2010-02-14T02:09:00.003-05:00

Last night my wife made an Entrecote au Thyme which is a beef tenderloin with some cracked pepper along with a sauce made from port, thyme, beef broth, shallots and some other ingredients. It was one of the most tender pieces of beef I can remember eating and the sauce was delicious. You could literally cut the meat with a butter knife. While I was out shopping, I ran across a Rioja which up until now I could only find in Switzerland - the Ondarre Rioja Reserva. I previously posted the 2004 vintage (EXCELLENT WINE) on 7/31/09. This meal could have been paired with many different wines but I wanted a medium bodied wine that would work with the tender meat and the sauce. This garnet colored Rioja is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo. When I first opened the 2002, I thought the nose was lacking but over the next half-hour, it went from a subtle berry aroma to glass of juicy fruits. The lush aromas of plums, raisins and cherries were followed by some light cedar and a little bit of spices. On the palate, there were wonderful layers of cherries, raspberries and cranberries along with a small amount of oak/vanilla and light pepper. It is a relatively dry wine with velvety smooth tannins and a nice finish. I will definitely be picking up alot more of the this vintage for the cellar. This will still drink well for the next 2-3 years. Decanter Magazine gave it their top rating of 5 stars and Robert Parker gave it a 92 point rating. Unfortunately, Wine Spectator rated the Ondarre Rioja Reserva 2002 only 85 points. They really missed the boat on this one. They should try another bottle and repost their score. For $17, this is a great buy. However, I still would pick the 2004 vintage over the 2002.

Kracher Beerenauslese Cuvee 2007

2010-02-12T02:23:00.007-05:00

I have not had the opportunity to try many white dessert wines but this Austrian Cuvee was an enjoyable finish to a wonderful evening. Like many of the small wineries, this is a family owned and opeated winery too. Alois Kracher Sr. founded the winery in the mid 1900s but his son Alois Jr. really made a name for the family business. "Luis" as he was known by, was a chemist for a pharmaceutical company prior to returning to Kracher Wines in 1989. By 1991, his sweet, dry dessert wines became widely known. Unfortunately, Alois Jr. passed away in 2007 at the young age of 48. His son Gerhard has taken control of the family business, along with Gerhard's mother, and continues to produce outstanding wines. The winery is located near Lake Neusiedl in Eastern Austria along the Hungarian border. The lake and climate is critical to this wine as it stimulates the growth of the "noble rot" (fungus) that forms on these grapes as they allow them to become overripe before picking. The Beerenauslese designation refers to this condition of the grape.
The 2007 Beerenauslese Cuvee is a dark golden colored dessert wine that has rich aromas of peaches and apricots along with a dripping honey comb and some vanilla. My first several sips were not very exciting but it quickly opened up to a nice creamy medium bodied wine with a dried apricot taste along with an older pineapple and peaches and a hint of toasted caramel at the end. The sweetness was not as overwhelming as I was expecting. Overall, it was a well structurd wine with moderate acidity that could be enjoyed with a dessert or biscotti cookies. If you enjoy cooking and entertaining, pick up a bottle of the Kracher 2007 and serve it after dinner.

Bogle Petite Sirah 2007

2010-02-10T16:08:00.001-05:00

Back in May, 2009 I posted my first Bogle experience with a tasting of the Phantom. Now, thanks to another PS I Love You member, I have been given the opportunity to try yet another wonderful wine from the Bogle Winery. Bogle is a family run winery that was started in 1968 in Clarksburg, CA by the father and son team of Warren and Chris Bogle. In 1989, Patty (Chris's wife) took over the operation of the winery following Chris's passing. Today, the winery operation has reached the 6th generation of family members.

The 2007 Petite Sirah was produced from grapes harvested in both Clarksbug and Lodi, CA. It is a dark purple wine that opened with a big blackberry and plum nose along with black pepper and herbal notes. There were subtle aromas of toasted oak and vanilla also. The flavors in this medium bodied wine were really well balanced with black fruits and blueberries, pepper and oak. Although the acidity was slightly lower than the other PSs, the flavors were rich and had a nice long finish. Unlike some of the other Petite Sirah's, this one did not have an overpowering alcohol content and the tannins were relatively smooth. If possible, I would cellar this for another few years. For $11, this is a great buy. We paired it with my wife's moroccan chili and couscous, and all the peppers and cinnamon from the chili were perfect matches for this wine. Two thumbs up at our house. We can't wait to open the 2nd bottle. Give the 2007 Bogle Petite Sirah a try!

Velt 1 Gruner Veltliner 2007

2010-02-09T01:13:00.001-05:00

This GV from Schloss Halbturn Koenigsegg is an Austrian wine that I found in a tiny local market in VT last weekend. It has that yellowish green tint that most of the GVs have. However, it had an unusual nose. Initially, there was some apple and light citrus, but this was followed up with green vegetables like peas or beans and a hint of green tea. The palate wasn't that much different. The citrus was quickly replaced with a grassiness and minerality with a touch of honey. It had a light to medium body but very minimal acidity and a strange after taste. Overall, this is not a wine that I would run out and buy again. It retails for just under $10. Robert Parker gave it an 86 point rating and we would probably agree that this is the high end of the scale for this wine. We served it with multiple cheeses and crackers.

Basa Rueda Blanco 2007

2010-02-02T01:45:00.001-05:00

This is another very nice, easy drinking white wine from the Rueda appellation in northwest Spain. It is a blend of 50% verdejo, 40% viura and 10% sauvignon blanc, which is very similar to the Las Brias (previously posted) but the Basa has less sauvignon blanc. This wine has a very light, pale yellow hue with a nice big nose of grapefruits, white peaches, lime and a juicy mango. You might also notice the bouquet of tall grass and wild flowers, which brought back memories from our hike in Aspen, CO. On the palate, the citrus and peaches were dominate along with a tartness of a granny smith apple followed by a slight spiciness of white pepper and a touch of stone/gravel. The acidity was lacking though and had a short finish. Overall, it is a fairly well structured wine with a nice light body and enjoyable flavors. This wine must be kept cold. It would go with many appetizers or as an aperitif. Robert Parker rated the Basa 88 points and the Wine Enthusiast rated it 89 points. I think they are right on for this one. The 2007 Basa retails for about $10.

Chateau Haut Vigneau 2005

2010-01-28T02:19:00.002-05:00

Last weekend the boys and I wanted to make a nice dinner for my wonderful wife and their mother. While I cooked, they set the table and then got dressed up. On the menu was going to be a carmelized apple salad with roasted walnuts, blue cheese and a spicy orange viniagrette (a favorite of ours for years), pork tenderloin medallions with an apple and jalepeno sauce for on top and roasted asparagus with aged balsamic and fresh lemon. What could I find in the cellar to pair with the sweetness from the oranges and apples, yet complement the jalepenos in both sauces and then be subtle enough for the asparagus? With the cellar needing restocked, I reached for the Chateau Haut Vigneau 2005 which is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot. This ruby colored bordeaux is from the Pessac-Leognan appellation and more narrowly defined as the Graves subregion. This region is located southwest of Bordeaux. I opened and decanted this wine about 20 minutes prior to plating the food. It started off with aromas of both red and black berries, old plums, milled wood shavings, violet and some earthiness. I probably should have quickly gone downstairs and pulled something else. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine had some black fruits flavors, cherries, clove, toasted oak and some dirt from the gravelly terroir. The tannis were not too chewy for such a young Bordeaux, but the acidity was relatively mild and it really lacked a finish. It received an 88 point rating from the Wine Spectator. We would probably agree with this rating, or slightly lower. However, based on all the empty plates and the smiles, the dinner was a big success. Next time, I would choose a Rioja for this dinner. Unfortunately I was all out. The 2005 Chateau Haut Vigneau Bordeaux retails for about $20.

Miro Petite Sirah 2006

2010-01-27T00:38:00.001-05:00

This is another wine that was generously provided by a PS I Love You winemaker - Miro Cellars from Geyserville, CA. Miro Tcholakov is the wine maker who also made the La Storia 2004 Petite Sirah for Trentadue Winery that I previously posted (Petite Sirah Day 2). The grapes for this 100% Petite Sirah were harvested from the Dry Creek Valley and then were barrel aged for 17 months in 40% new European oak barrels. 2006 was a relatively rainy winter with a cooler summer than the 2005 vintage. As a result, the grapes were harvested at a later date, thus producing greater depth and structure. The 2006 harvest was also lower in yield resulting in more intense flavor and concentration. This very dark purple wine started off with intense blackberry and blueberry aromas along with some toasted oak and herbal notes. On the palate, the black fruits dominated but there was a sour cherry flavor on the mid palate that was not very pleasing. On the back end was some nice earthiness along with some spice rack flavors that unfortuantely got covered by the sour cherries. Overall, the wine was well structured with nice acidity and relatively mild tannins, but had missed the mark with the cherries. This big and bold wine would pair well with grilled meats, strong blue cheses and spicy sauces. Be sure to decant this wine for at least a half-hour before serving. The Miro Petite Sirah received a 90 point rating from the Wine Enthusiast. Based on our first bottle, we would be in the 86-88 point range. However, I will taste a second bottle and update this posting following that tasting. This wine retails for about $20.

WIN 3 NIGHTS AT TORRE BAROLO - ITALY

2010-01-22T02:14:00.001-05:00

How? If you aren’t already a Fan of TorreBarolo on Facebook, simply become one by the end of January and you automatically will qualify for the drawing. If you are a Fan of TorreBarolo already, then easy, just continue to support the TorreBarolo Fan’s Page with your comments.

The rules:
1. As of January 31st, all names on the Fan page will be entered into a hat and we will draw a name. If the lucky winner is unable to redeem their prize, then we will draw a 2nd winner … and so on;
2. The prize of 3 nights at TorreBarolo has a value of €375 and is not redeemable in cash. As is standard at TorreBarolo, a security deposit will still be requested upon check-in;
3. The availability period for the winner’s 3 night stay runs from Feb 5th, 2010 to March 31st, 2010;
4. If the winner removes him/herself from the TorreBarolo Fan’s page before their 3 night stay, the winner forfeits their winning;
5. After staying at TorreBarolo, the winner will be requested to enter a review on the TorreBarolo website as well as on TorreBarolo Fan’s page;
6. The winner will be contacted via Facebook directly to their message inbox;
7. The final winner will be announced on the Fan’s page on Feb 1st.

The owner of this beautiful property is originally from CA. As a lover of great food and great wine, Megan ended up buying Torre Barolo in the Piemonte region of northern Italy. Check out her web page at http://www.torrebarolo.com/.

Moulin De Toulet 2008

2010-01-16T19:07:00.001-05:00

This 2008 Vin De Pays Des Cotes de Gascogne is a white Bordeaux from south west France produced by Maison Sichel. The Sichel family moved to France in the mid 1850's from Germany and opened their first wine shop in 1883. Hermann's grandson, Peter Sichel, followed his footsteps to France from England and became one of the top ambassadors for Bordeaux wines. He led the family business for 31 years. Today, his son Allan is the Managing Director of the family empire along with his brothers and their children. This white wine has wonderfully crisp aromas of exotic fruits, summer flowers and a little limestone. On the palate, the exotic fruits are up front followed by some juicy citrus and then a big sweet tangerine flavor on the finish. There is great acidity and length to this wine. It has a mild 11.5% alcohol content and is perfctly structured. If you are a Sauvignon Blanc drinker, you will love this wine. If you are looking for a crisp white with plenty of fruits, this will blow you away. It can be enjoyed by itself or with appetizers. We served this with Chilean sea bass with a lemon and caper sauce along with braised fennel and rice. Perfect pairing. Keep this wine cold. It retails for about $12.

Retsina Malamatina

2010-01-12T14:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was coming back from a meeting with some business partners and we stopped at a Greek restaurant for lunch. One partner, who is Greek, said I had to try their specialty. The bottle cap on top should have given me a good idea what I was about to taste. This dry white, or should I say deep yellow, wine dates back nearly 2000 years ago. Back then, without the equipment and bottling we have today, pine resin was added to the wine to keep it from spoiling. Unfortunately, when they started using barrels, they did not remove this ingredient as it was now what they expected from this wine. It has the distinct aroma of pine needles, varnish and some citrus. We had a cleaning detergent that smelled like this as a kid. They claim you should also taste the pine resin, but it tasted just like what shoe polish smells like. I think I would prefer the shoe polish next time. Retsina is the name for a Greek wine that has been flavored with sandarac, a resin obtained from a Calitis tree. Who needs oak when you have pine resin. There is a minimal 11% alcohol content. It retails for about $4-$5. This has to be one of the most unusual wines I have ever tasted. Additionally, this is NOT a wine to pair with foods. No offense Peter but this is a big pass!!!

Seven Artisans Petite Sirah 2007

2010-01-11T23:43:00.001-05:00

This weekend we wanted to try some more of the Petite Sirah's that the PS I Love You members generously provided. And this one did not let us down. Sometimes a bottle catches your eye by the label and this one does. It does not have a label, rather all lettering is in gold and is hand written onto the bottle. This Petite Sirah is from Jeff Miller's 34 acre property on Clayton Road in the Suisun Valley, just outside of Napa. This big and bold wine was opened and decanted for about an hour before dinner. The aromas were constantly changing. I might even let it sit for another hour next time. It had a complex nose of big blackberries, blueberry jam, boysenberry and black pepper. The dark fruits carried onto the palate along with some red fruit. In the mid to back end was a bit of chocolate, pepper and anise. There was a nice long finish, but also had big tannins. Even though it had a 14.9% alcohol content, it was masked well. This is a well structured wine that I would actually hold for another 5 years before drinking. It pours well today but will be outstanding in years to come. The Seven Artisans Petite Sirah 2007 retails for $18. This was a hit in our house and we would recommend you picking some up. Only 435 cases were produced so get it now before it is all gone. This will pair well with tender filets, ribs, venison or other meats, stews and goulash.

The Artisan Family wines also produces the Sly Dog Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon which I have enjoyed many times in the past. In fact, it was the wine of choice for a large dinner at my brother's ski house a year ago. Pick this one up as well. It retails for about $15.

R&A Pfaffl Austrian Pepper 2008

2010-01-07T00:37:00.004-05:00

The Pfaffl family winery has been producing wines for over 30 years, and in 1986 Roman Pfaffl was named Winemaker of the Year by the Austrian Wine Press. The grapes for this 2008 Gruner Veltliner were harvested in Niederosterreich (Lower Austria) in the Weinviertel (Wine Quarter) region which is situated just north of Vienna. This region is the largest wine producing area in all of Austria with over 30% of the vines being Gruner Veltliner. The Austrian Pepper is a straw yellow Gruner Veltliner that has a bright bouquet of orchard aromas including apples, pears, citrus and herbal notes. On the palate, the crisp citrus flavors of oranges and grapefruit are combined with some softer mellon and pear flavors. And, of course, a nice peppery finish on the back end. This peppery flavor is common to wines from this clay region. We served this on New Year's Eve along with a cheese fondue. This is a wine you could pair with many foods. I would highly recommend the 2008 Pfaffl Austrian Pepper. It retails for about $14-$15.

Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

2010-01-03T22:31:00.003-05:00

The 2005 Liberty School Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Hope family owned and operated winery located in Paso Robles, CA. The Hope family originally planted cabernet vines in 1978 and then began selling off the grapes to Chuck Wagner from the Caymus winery. With the help of Hope farms, Mr. Wagner's second label "Liberty School", was started. This 2005 is a medium-bodied cabernet that has a subtle chocolate covered cherries aroma with a hint of spices and a little vanilla. The fruity cherry and blackberry taste along with a peppery back-end taste is nicely combined with soft tannins. No need to cellar. This is nothing spectacular but if you are looking for an easy-drinking cabernet to drink with a burger or kabobs from the grill, give this a try. I would not pair it with a juicy grilled steak though. I prefer bigger Cabernets but this one is OK. Retails for about $14.

Petite Sirah - Day 2

2009-12-31T14:41:00.002-05:00

Continuing my quest for Petite Sirah's on the East Coast, I have tasted three more provided by the generous members of PS I Love You.

We alternate every Christmas between the US with my family and Switzerland with my wife's family. This year, we stayed in the States. But as a tradition in Switzerland, we served up a fondue chinoise along with 4 different home-made sauces to my brother's family. The day before, my wife prepared the stock which the thinly sliced meats would ultimately be cooked in by each family member in the fondue pots. With pork, beef and chicken on the menu and sauces ranging from a mild basic sauce to garlic to curry, I thought a nice Petite Sirah would be the call, especially since I just received numerous bottles to try.

2007 Line 39 by Cecchetti Racke - Roy and Rachel Cecchetti started the Cecchetti Wine Compay in 2007 and earlier this year merged with Racke USA. Prior to this venture, Roy had co-founded the Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellars in 1985 with his brother-in-law Don Sebastiani. The name of this wine, Line 39, refers to the latitude of Lake County where the grapes for this wine were picked. This wine started with a great bouquet of fresh juicy red berries with a small amount of oak. On the palate, the flavors were more jammy blackberry, blueberry and black cherry with some oak and tobacco. This medium to full bodied wine with a 14.5% alcohol content had great structure along with rich acidity, a long finish and relatively smooth tannins. Be sure to decant this Petite Sirah for 30+ minutes before serving. This was a big hit. Roy Cecchetti is also a Director of PS I Love You. For $10, this is a steal. A Must Buy!!
Follow-up: We just had a second bottle of the Line 39 with a homemade pasta and this bottle was as good, if not better than, the first bottle. This is a great Petite Sirah.

Over the holidays we shared two other bottles with guests.

La Storia 2004 by Trentadue Winery - Winemaking in the Trentadue family goes back several generations. The 2004 is the second vintage bottled under the La Storia label and is a blend of 90% Petite Sirah and 10% Syrah. The wine was made by Miro Tcholakov who joined Trentadue in 1999. Miro was born and raised in Bulgaria in a winemaking family and has now gone on to win many awards for his excellent wines. The La Storia Petite Sirah came from the Alexander Valley Appellation. This dark garnet colord wine has nice aromas of blueberries, blackberries and plums along with some toasted oak and coffee. The flavors from this full bodied wine were black fruits along with some cedar, white pepper and oak. It was aged for 16 months in 20% new European and French oak barrels and the remainder in 2-3 year old mixed American and European oak. The tannins were slightly firm and the alcohol is slightly high at 15%. The Wine Advocate rated this 88 Points. I would agree with this rating. Although it drinks well now, this will be a good wine to hold for another 5 years. Again, be sure to decant this wine prior to serving. Overall, the consensus was very nice wine. The La Storia 2004 retails for about $15.

Pedroncelli 2006 -This Dry Creek Valley winery is a family owned and operated winery that dates back 1927 when John Pedroncelli Sr bought a small vineyard and winery. In 1963, John's two son's Jim and John Jr. purchased the property from their father. The third generation joined the family business in the early 1990's and are now heading the charge. The petitie sirah vines were first planted on the property in the early 1900's. The 2006 Petite Sirah is a dark purple wine that is a blend of 89% Petite Sirah and 11% Cabernet Franc. This wine was aged for 12 months in American and French oak barrels, one quarter new oak with the balance in seasoned oak barrels. The aromas are rich in black fruit along with the earthy tones from the region and a slight herbal note. The flavors were full of fresh black fruits along with some spicy cocoa, vanilla and the earthiness from the terroir. The Cabernet Franc was very visible, but also really tasty. There was nice complexity with pretty round tannins. The alcohol was only 13.9% which was just perfect for this wine. The finish was a little short but overall a nice wine. We came back the next day and tasted it again and it had evolved even more. As with the others, this is a young Petite Sirah that needs to be decanted for at least a half-hour or more if you have the time. Better yet, stick it in the cellar for a few more years and then pop the cork. The Pedroncelli 2006 Petite Sirah retails for about $15. Give this one a try.

Stay tuned for more of my/our Petite Sirah tastings.

Petite Sirah - Day 1

2009-12-30T01:43:00.005-05:00

Petite Sirah is a wine that is hard to come by on the east coast. Several retailers told me recently that they won't stock this because people don't know this type of wine and when they are looking for a "big" CA wine, they go straight to Cabernets. I suggested maybe doing a tasting of several so that this great varietal will get the recognition it deserves. Although the berries are "petite", the wines are not. I have previously posted the incredible Girard Petite Sirah and the Vina Robles Petite Sirah. With the help of some great PS I Love You members, I have had the opportunity to try some others with more in the cellar to taste. Last week while hanging out by the fireplace at the family ski house, I broke out the following CA Petite Sirahs to share with family and friends. These are great wines for grilled meats, beef stews, and chili.

Parducci 2007 - This family (Thornhill and Dolan) owned and operated winery from Mendocino County are not only striving to produce nice wines but is committed to sustainable wine growing practices. In fact, Parducci is the first carbon neutral winery in the US. The 2007 vintage was just bottled in November 2009, after being aged for 22 months in American Oak and in Redwood tanks. This ruby red Petite Sirah started with a relatively tight nose with some cherry and blackberry. The dark fruits followed through on the palate along with a small amount of pepper. It was a medium bodied wine with smooth tannins, but lacked the structure I was expecting. The acidity was low and the flavors on the mid palate and back end were short. Additionally, it had a slight bitter aftertaste. It was tasted again the next day and it was a little better. The overall consensus was fair. I have a second bottle that will be tried at a later date to compare and then post again. The 2007 Parducci Petite Sirah retails for $11.
This past weekend we opened the second bottle of the 2007 Parducci and it unfortunately followed suit with the first bottle. This is a pass.

Concannon Conservancy 2007 - The Concannon winery was started by James Concannon, an Irish immigrant, in 1883. Although the winery was sold to The Wine Group, Jim Concannon has been at the winery for more than 50 years now and his son John is now learning the business. Concannon Winery was also the first in the US to plant Petite Sirah grapes in 1961 and the first vintage was bottled in 1964. The Conservancy winegrowers place their land into a conservation trust that preserves it against development forever. The 2007 Conservancy petite Sirah is a blend of 97% Petite Sirah and 3% Petite Verdot. This inky colored full bodied wine started with rich aromas of cherries, pepper and some smokey oak. The intense flavors were more plums and blueberries along with some chocolate, black pepper and oak. It was aged in both French and American oak. The acidity was relatively high and the finish was long. However, the tannins were quite chewy. It too was just released in the fall, so hopefully the complexity of this wine will come together over time. The overall consensus was to put this away for at least 5 more years and then try it again. The 2007 Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah retails for $15.

Glen Ellen 2007 - This recently released Petite Sirah is also produced by Concannon Vineyards in Livermore, although the grapes for this wine come from both the Central Coast region and the North Valley region of CA. This was the complete opposite of the Concannon Petite Sirah as it lacked the complexity and structure found in the Concannon. It was medium bodied with plum and black cherry aromas and flavors along with some tobacco and a hint of spices. The acidity was similar but the finish was lacking. The tannins were soft. In fact, it was more like drinking juice. The overall consensus was fair. I have a second bottle that will be tried at a later date. Any changes will be posted. The 2007 Glen Ellen Petite Sirah retails for $10.

I will be posting the Day 2 tastings soon. Lots of Petite Sirah postings to go. Check back soon.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2009-12-23T01:35:00.000-05:00

I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday and a healthy and prosperous New Year. Safe travels for all of you heading out to visit family and friends over the holidays. Remember, wine gets better with age, so take your time and get there safely.

Cheers!!

Vina Robles Winery - Paso Robles, CA

2009-12-18T00:41:00.000-05:00

I would like to personally thank Vina Robles Winery for their generous contribution to a charity event. I have previously posted in the blog my high praises for their Petite Sirah. Additionally, their Suendero (Cabernet and Petite Verdot blend) recently beat out over 1,850 other wines from 14 countries for the grand championship at a Houston competition. Ok, maybe I am biased since I am married to a wonderful Swiss girl and the Owner and Winemaker are both Swiss, but these are very good wines. Give them a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Prost!!!

Carpineto Dogajolo 2007

2009-12-15T00:11:00.000-05:00

The Carpineto Winery is special to us as the Chianti Classico Riserva was the first bottle of wine my wife and I shared together nearly 15 years ago on one of our first dates. I don't remember what vintage it was as my attention was more on her than the wine, but it was a really nice wine. We had many more bottles of it while dating. We even made this a stop on our first trip to Tuscany 7 years ago. Needless to say, we left with a nice bottle to share at the hotel.

Last night we opened a bottle of the 2007 Dogajolo which is a "Super-Tuscan" blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose on this dark red wine was a little pungent with old dried cherries and dried plums with some stale coffee. The taste was not much better as the oakiness and tobacco overpowered the fruit. The tannins were relatively smooth with some mild acidity. I think this wine might develop with a few more years of aging, but I still probably wouldn't buy it again. After having the Chianti Classico Riserva, the Brunello di Montalcino and the Farnito all from Carpineto, the Dogajolo would be last on my list. But be sure to give Carpineto wines a try. The 2007 Dogajolo retails for about $10.

Quattromani Merlot del Ticino DOC

2009-12-13T03:12:00.006-05:00

When you think of Switzerland, your first thought is probably of the magnificent Alps and skiing and not of palm trees. Mine too. However, there are plenty of palm trees in southern Switzerland in the canton of Ticino. To get to Ticino from the north you pass through the Alps via the St. Gotthard Tunnel, which is the longest tunnel in the world at 15.3 miles. This was a little uneasy feeling till we came out again. But when you do come out, you are in a region that is more tropical with palm trees and flowers that generally bloom year-round. It has even been called the Swiss Riviera. This small southern Canton is actually surrounded by Italy on the west, south and part of the eastern side. As could be expected from its northern Italian surroundings, Ticino has 2,500 acres of vineyards, of which nearly 85% are planted with merlot grapes. This beautiful setting overlooking Lake Maggiore is where we had one of our favorite Swiss wines, the Quattromani Merlot del Ticino. Quattromani means "four hands" which best describes the four wine makers (Claudio Tamborini, Feliciano Gialdi, Angelo Delea and Guido Brivio) who produced this outstanding wine. This medium-bodied, deep garnet colored wine is 100% merlot that has been blended from merlot grapes from each of these wine makers vineyards. It has wonderful aromas of dried cherries, plum and pepper with a hint of roses. On the palate, you will also pick up blackberry and mild oak along with the cherries, plum and pepper. The acidity is well balanced along with smooth tannins and a wonderful long finish. This wine will cellar well for 5-10 years. The Quattromani Merlot del Ticino will pair nicely with a carpaccio appetizer or white meats such as the traditional Swiss sausages (Bratwurst) and Swiss cheeses (Appenzeller, Emmentaler, and Gruyere).

This merlot will hold its own to any merlot in the world. The Ticino merlots have won many international wine competitions. Unfortunatly 40% of the wines from this area stay within the Canton, 55% get shipped throughout Switzerland and only 5% get exported thoughout Europe and to the US. THIS IS A MUST BUY IF YOU CAN FIND IT. It retails in Switzerland for about 55 Swiss Francs ($55).

Don't mistake this for the Italian Quattro Mani Montepulciano d'Abruzzo that retails for about $10-$11.

Sierra De Viento Tempranillo and Garnacha

2009-12-09T01:44:00.001-05:00

Last week, I was invited to a tasting of two wines produced by Bodegas San Valero, a cooperative located in north-east Spain in the province of Zaragoza. This cooperative was established in 1944 with 60 vine growers from the Carinena region. Today, there are over 700 members with over 3,500 hectares (8,650 acres) of vineyards.

The first wine we tasted was the 2008 Sierra de Viento Tempranillo. The grapes for this 100% tempranillo wine have made picked from 20-25 year old vines. This unoaked wine has a crimson color with an intense aroma of fresh red fruit and some floral notes. On the palate, it was fruitier than most other tempranillo's that I have tasted. In fact, it was too much. Although the flavors lasted for a while, the back end was a sour cherry flavor that didn't entice me to drink more.

Next up was the 2007 Sierra de Viento Garnacha Old Vine which was produced from grapes harvested from 30+ year old vines. This garnet colord wine was fermented in new French oak barriques for 3 months and then transferred to American oak barriques for 5 months. Following this, it is aged in the bottle for an additional 12 to 15 months. This was an interesting wine. Upon the inital opening and pouring, it had a big oak and vanilla aroma. But, within 5 to 10 minutes, this vanilla aroma mellowed and I started picking up more dried fruits, some toast and tobacco. The flavors were more blackberry and currant along with some oakiness. The Garnacha had mild acidity, but did have some chewy tannins.

Overall, neither of these wines were that impressive. As of now, the cooperative has not chosen an importer or distributor for these wines. When they do finally hit the US shelves, they will likely retail for $10-$11. Even with these prices, I think they will be difficult to sell.

Robert Gilliard Fendant Sion Les Murettes 2008 & 2006

2009-12-07T02:29:00.001-05:00

Last night we attended a school function for our oldest son. They were serving the traditional Swiss raclette (melted cheese and potatoes) paired with the Robert Gilliard Fendant Les Murettes 2008. This family run winery dating back to 1885 is located in the Valais region of southwest Switzerland, near the borders of Italy and France. This is the largest wine growing region in Switzerland. It is made from the Fendant grape, which is also known as Chasselas. This is a nice straw yellow wine with flowery aromas along with some soft citrus. On the palate, it has a crisp flavor of white peach, pear, apple and an abundance of minerality from the slate and rock in the region. If you don't believe that terroir has any impact on wine, try a bottle of Fendant. It has a very unique flavor. There is a crisp acidity and long lasting flavors to this dry wine. When we returned home, I opened the 2006 and quickly noticed the dull and flat flavors in this vintage. The 2008 was 12% alcohol and the 2006 was 11.8%. This is a wine to drink and not put in the cellar. It will not get better with age. The Gilliard Fendant is aged in stainless steel and is unoaked. We always have some on hand for our raclette and fondue dinners at home. It can also be enjoyed as an aperitif. It retails for about $25. The Dole from Robert Gilliard is very nice too, but that will be a separate post.

Domaine Du Bagnol Cassis 2005

2009-12-05T02:04:00.000-05:00

This deep golden colored wine comes from the Provence region of southern France, about 15 miles south of Marseilles. Cassis was historically an old fishing village along the French Riviera with some of the highest and most picturesque cliffs in all of France. Today, there are a handful of small wineries in Cassis, although not many of the wines actually get imported to the US. The 17.5 acre Domaine Du Bagnol winery, which dates back to 1867, was purchased by Jean-Louis Genovesi several years ago and is popular for their Cassis Blanc and Rose wines. The 2005 is a blend of Marsanne, Clairette and Ugni Blanc. We opened a bottle tonight before going out to dinner and we were disappointed. It has a relatively light nose of pear but the aromas of grass and nuts overpowered the fruit. On the palate, it was quite flat with some apricot and honey flavors along with the nuttiness and a little spice. The rocky-limestone terrain was also picked up in the flavor. I would have thought the alcohol content would have been higher than the 12.5% based on the blend, as Ugni Blanc and Clairette are usually higher than this and are typically used in Brandys and Cognacs. The acidity was high though and almost had a burning sensation. This Cassis must be kept very cold. Based on our tastes and, more importantly, the $30 price tag we would not purchase this again. If you have it stored, I would serve it with a Meditteranean fish or maybe a lentil soup.

White X 2008

2009-12-03T00:44:00.001-05:00

While I was preparing the Thanksgiving feast for the family, I opened a bottle of the White X from the X Winery in CA. Yes, those are the actual names. The X Winery was started in 2000 by Reed Renaudin who at the time was an MBA student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Although he was relatively young in age, his background and education was well seasoned having worked for some of the top names in Sonoma and Napa including Gallo and Heitz as well as Cape Clairault Wines in Australia. In addition to X Winery, Reed also started Amicus Winery.

The White X is a blend of 57% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Muscat Blanc, 19% Chardonnay and 4% Roussanne sourced from 5 vineyards throughout the North Coast region. This crisp white wine had a great nose of citrus, white peach, pear and a little nuttiness. The palate was led by some nice exotic fruits along with apricots and green apples, as well as a hint of minerality. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Muscat Blanc are stainless steel fermented while the Chardonnay and Roussanne are barrel fermented. There is nice acidity with a long finish. Overall, from the initial aromas to the long lasting flavors, this is a really nice wine with lots of complexity.

Only 580 cases of this wine were produced. Not only is the bottle memorable for the big X, but the X is actually silk screened onto the bottle in place of paper labels. If you can spot the X, be sure to pick some up. This is a serious wine with a simple name. It can be enjoyed on its own or paired with many entrees from simple meats and cheeses to spicy entrees. It retails for $14. Great Buy!

Girard Sauvignon Blanc 2008

2009-11-30T03:22:00.000-05:00

Yet another wonderful wine from Girard. I have posted several other Girard wines and for the most part have been very good wines. This Sauvignon Blanc has the fruity nose expected in this varietal including aromas of pineapple, green apples and citrus, yet not as overpowering as some of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. The palate is smooth with lots of apricot, lemon and grapefruit along with a touch of pepper on the back. This is a nice crisp wine that has great acidity and a nice long finish. If you are looking for a dry wine, this is it. We served this with Halibut topped with a lemon and caper sauce served with braised fennel. Was a great match. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this 90 points and the Wine Spectator rated it 89 points. For our tastes, we would be slightly higher than 90. Named one of Robert Parker's "Fifty Super Domestic Wine Values." Great wine that retails for about $18. You just can't go wrong with a Girard wine.

Fenicio Alicante 2008

2009-11-27T10:54:00.000-05:00

This dark red, medium-bodied wine comes from the Alicante region in south eastern Spain along the Meditteranean Sea. Alicante is a region as well as a grape, although this wine is made from 100% Tempranillo, the same grape used to make wonderful Riojas. The winemaker described this un-oaked wine as earthy with some licorice flavors. Unfortunately, I picked up more old plum and leather with an unusual spice on the backend. The tannins were fairly mild and the finish was short. Overall, we were both disappointed with this wine. As the the wine opened, it actually got worse instead of better. I would pass on this next time. It retails for $11.

Zantho Zweigelt 2007

2009-11-23T00:43:00.002-05:00

Last night we made a chicken tikka masala for dinner. The big question was what would you pair with this dish? My first thought would be a white such as a Gewurztraminer, a Viognier or maybe a Torrontes. Then we discussed reds. Would a bigger bodied Syrah be too much with the creaminess or perhaps a medium-bodied Rioja or similar style wine be better. Then the idea of a Rose crossed my mind. After surveying our stock of wines, a medium-bodied Zantho Zweigelt from Andau, Austria was chosen. Zantho was started in 2001 by Joseph Umathum and Wolfgang Peck. You will always recognize the Zantho label by the lizard, which can be found in this region. This ruby-red wine starts with an aroma of juicy red berries, mainly strawberries, cherries and raspberries along with some smokiness. The berries followed through on the palate with some clove and pepper on the back end. The tannins were light as was the acidity. Overall, this is a decent Zweigelt. Although some Zweigelts are drinkable at a young age, I would put this one away for another 1-2 years. The fruity flavors actually complimented the creaminess and spices (turmeric and garam masala) from the dish well. As with the Heinrich Zweigelt, this bottle had a glass stopper. The Zantho Zweigelt retails for $14.

Santa Ana Torrontes Reserve 2007

2009-11-20T00:56:00.001-05:00

I previously posted the Malbec from Santa Ana and how good it was. When I saw this Torrontes, I had to give it a try. The Bodegas Santa Ana has been producing wines since 1891 in Mendoza Argentina. The 2007 Torrontes Reserve has a greenish gold hue and is made from 100% Torrontes grapes. It has a nice floral aroma of flowers and citrus, along with some pear and oak. I also thought it had a little too much alcohol coming through on the nose. On the palate, it had the apricot and white peach usually found in Torrontes wines. Additionally, there was some pear and red apple (not tart). Again, there was some mild oakiness along with a rubbing alcohol taste on the back end. I was a little turned off by the alcohol aroma and flavor. My wife liked it a little better than I did. This is not a highly acidic wine but is relatively dry. I would stick to the Luigi Bosca La Linda Torrontes (see prvious post) over the Santa Ana. The Santa Ana Torrontes Reserve 2007 retails for $10.

Cantos Rodados Verdejo 2008

2009-11-17T23:59:00.001-05:00

Spain just keeps putting out fantastic wines. Cantos Rodados, which means river stones (see label) in English, is made from 25 year old Verdejo vines that are grown on the banks of the Duero River in Northern Spain. This is a dry and cool area where the stones actually heat up during the day and then disperse the heat at night to the vines when the air temperatures have dropped. Wine drinkers sometimes confuse this pale yellow medium-bodied wine to Sauvignon Blanc. It has similar tropical fruit aromas, but is more flowery. The tropical fruit follows on to the palate with some lemon and peach flavors along some herbs. This is a wine that you really pick up the chalky, dusty flavors from the terroir. The true Spanish qualities are brought out in this Verdejo. The acidity was relatively high but was well covered with the tropical flavors. This is a great wine to serve with medium flavored cheeses, fish, seafood and some white meats. It would go really well with a vegetable side dish of asparagus, brussel sprouts or kale. You could serve it with a salad but would need to be careful that the salad dressing acidity and the wine acidity don't combat one another. For $10, this is a real bargain.

Umberto Cesari Sangiovese Riserva 2006

2009-11-16T14:30:00.006-05:00

Last night was Italian night. The only thing missing was sitting in Italy overlooking the vineyards. My wife made her incredible lasagna (no ricotta cheese!!!) that is actually better than you will find in a restaurant. She lived and worked in Italy for two years and picked up the Italian cooking. Additionally, we had a wild baby arugla salad with our Felsina Raggiolo olive oil dressing that we picked up in Tuscany at the Felsina winery. This was paired with the Umberto Cesari Sangiovese Riserva 2006 from the Cesari family winery located in Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy. This garnet-colored wine made of a blend of Sangiovese (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). It has a nice medium-body that has wonderful cherry aromas along with some spring flowers. The sweetness from the cherries was combined with some black currant and some dusty/earthy Tuscan flavors. The wine was aged for 24 months in Slovenian oak which was integrated well. This Riserva was a little higher in acidity but was well balanced. The tannins were soft even with the Cabernet blend. This is a rather dry wine but had an enjoyable finish. With great food, nice wine and a wonderful family, it just doesn't get any better. I can't wait for our next Italian night. The Umberto Ceasri Sangiovese Riserva 2006 retails for about $19. Give this a try. This is a young Sangiovese that should age well, if you can hold off for a few years.

Marques de Caceres Rioja Crianza 2005

2009-11-14T11:19:00.000-05:00

I previously posted the 2003 Crianza and was hoping for similar results. Although it was the same blend (85% Tempranillo and 15% Granacha Tinta and Graciano), it unfortunately didn't live up to the 2003. It had some subtle black and red berry aromas but on the palate the berries were not very exciting. It was very light bodied with some cherry and cranberry flavors. Although it was aged in both French and American oak, there was little oakiness to be smelled or tasted. The body and spiciness found in the 2003 did not exist in the 2005. The finish was very limited and left a bitter after-taste. The tannins were soft. We were both down on the 2005. There are much better Rioja's on the market. Wine Spectator rated this 87. This is a very generous rating. The 2005 Crianza retails for about $14.

Tierra De Luna Torrontes - Chardonnay 2008

2009-11-09T23:28:00.002-05:00

My wife picked up this wine this past weekend to serve with a tray of appetizers. It was INCREDIBLE. This wine comes from Bodega Lurton in Mendoza Argentina. Twin brothers Francois and Jacques Lurton came to Mendoza in 1992 after having worked with their father and other wine and Champagne producers. Their father is renowned Bordeaux maker Andre Lurton. In 1996, they purchased their first plot of land and started growing vines. This particular 2008 wine is a blend of 80% Torrontes and 20% Chardonnay. If tasted blindly, you would probably not pick up on the Chardonnay. In fact I thought it reminded me of a Viognier and my wife thought Chenin Blanc. The coloring is almost as clear as water but the nose had incredible aromas of peaches and apricots along with some oranges and citrus. There were wonderful floral notes on top. The palate was full of fruits and mineral tastes from the terroir. Tierra de Luna, which translates into Land of the Moon, is a rocky region in the foothills of the Andes Mountains with almost volcanic looking ground. This is one of the nicest white wines we have had this year. And for $7, it is a STEAL!!!! It certainly does well with appetizers but the next time you serve a spicy dish, open a bottle of the Tierra de Luna Torrontes - Chardonnay 2008. For my next pot of chili, this will be the wine of choice.

Jacob's Creek

2009-11-06T15:54:00.002-05:00

Recently, we were asked by a PR firm to taste and rate 3 red wines and 3 white wines from the South Australian winery Jacob's Creek. Previously, I posted a story about another South Australian winery, Henry's Drive, that incorporated the region's history into the winery's name and into the name of each wine produced. Well, Jacob's Creek has it's own fascinating history. In 1837, a Bavarian immigrant by the name of Johann Gramp arrived in South Australia after 4 months at sea and travelling nearly 12,000 miles. In 1847, he purchased land and planted his first vines which came from cuttings from Germany and in 1850 made his first wine. This was the very first commercial winery in the Barossa Valley. The small winery where he made his first wine still exists today at a site known as the Jacob's Creek Heritage Vineyard. The current day Jacob's Creek winery planted its first vines in 1973 and produced it's first vintage in 1976.

We started with the 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir. This ruby red colored wine started off with a tight nose with a small amount of cherries peeking through. Had I tasted this blindly, I would have thought it was strawberry Kool-Aid. It was very light with a sweetness of strawberries and some cherries. There was no structure to the body and had no signs of any tannins or oak from the aging process. I don't think any additional aging will save this wine. We were both very disappointed in this Reserve. It cannot compete with the Oregon or California Pinot Noirs. The 2007 Reserve Pinot Noir retails for $14.

Next, we tasted the 2008 Pinot Grigio. This light to medium bodied straw yellow wine started with fresh aromas of green apples, pear, honey (I eat every day!) and some citrus. On the palate, the fruit flavors of pear and lemon were crisp and refreshing. It is a semi-dry wine with not alot of acidity but well balanced for a nice finish. The 2008 Pinot Grigio was an enjoyable wine and would be a good choice if you are looking to pair with seafood, light cheeses, even some white meats. You might want to try this for Thanksgiving with the turkey. The 2008 Pinot Grigio is a great value wine that retails for $8. This was one of our favorites from this 6 bottle tasting. I am generally not a Pinot Grigio fan but this is a must try.

Third, we tasted the 2007 Reserve Chardonnay. This bright golden colored wine opened with overbearing nutty oak and buttery aromas. There was some lemon trying to escape. Reminded me of a butter cream cookie. On the palate, it was dry with gentle sweetness of melon, peach and a hint of pineapple. However, there was no finish to it and it left a bad after taste. Again, we were disappointed with this Chardonnay. For $14, we would pass on this next time.

The fourth of six wines we tasted was the 2006 Reserve Shiraz. This deep purple wine started off with a full black fruit aroma with some oakiness and spices. On the palate, this full-bodied wine was jammy with lots of plums, blackberries, and raisins along with some licorice and pepper. This opened up as the evening went on. The tannins were pretty smooth. It would pair nicely with the typical grilled meats, stews, or blue cheeses. I would also serve this with spicy Mexican (or New Mexico) foods or with some southern cajun dishes. A few more years of aging and this should really be nice. The 2006 Reserve Shiraz retails for $14.

Next to last was the 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. This garnet colored full-bodied wine was a bit overpowering of oak. There was some cassis, blackberry and cedar on the nose. The taste was full of black fruit as well as some chocolate and a hint of vegetables on the back. Once again, there was a little too much oak for my preference and the tannins were a bit chewy. It was aged with French and American oak for 18-20 months. You might want to cellar this reserve as well. We probably used more for cooking than drinking. You could pair this with a rich steak, BBQ sauces, goulash, and possibly some spicy Italian red sauces. This was aged for nearly two years before bottling. We would rate this in the low to maybe mid 80 point range. The 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon retails for $14.

And finally, the 2008 Reserve Riesling. This greenish-yellow Riesling was the other favorite in our house. The citrus and flowery aromas were perfectly balanced along with fresh citrus flavors following through on the palate. There was some minerality and a little green apple flavors to finish it off. It had good acidity with a wonderful finish. Not the sweet Rieslings you might think about for a dessert wine. It could pair with the usual suspects of a white wine but I would definitely pair this with Asian or Thai dishes. My wife makes a great Morrocan chili that I will pair this with next time. The 2008 Reserve Riesling retails for $14. Another must try. Since this posting, the 2008 was given a 90 point rating by Wine Spectator and also ranked #73 in the Top Wines of 2009.

Overall, there were some disappointments and some unexpected winners. These were our first bottles from Jacob's Creek and we will likely go back and try some older vintages to see how they have aged. The next time you are out buying wine and not sure what to try, pick up some Jacob's Creek. Would love to hear your feedback.

Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

2009-11-02T21:54:00.003-05:00

We were introduced to this wine by our neighbors this past weekend. The Silverado Winery was started by Ron and Diane Miller in 1981 in the Stags Leap region of Napa, CA. The Bordeaux style blend for this Cabernet Sauvignon is 83% Cabernet, 8% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, and all of the grapes for this wine were harvested from the family-owned estate vineyards. This dark purple wine has explosive aromas of jammy fruit including plum, cherry and currant followed by some hints of tobacco and smokey oak. On the palate, this full-bodied cabernet opens with wonderful black fruit flavors of blackberries and black cherries with some black tea and pepper in the middle and some licorice (just happened to have a Twizzler out of my sons Halloween bag) on the back. The oak was subtle and the tannins were rather soft for such a big and young Cabernet. The grapes were aged mostly in French oak (86%), along with American oak (14%), for 17 months. It is an extremely dry wine and has a nice long finish. We did not decant this, but I strongly recommend opening this wine an hour before serving. As the evening went open, it did open up to an enjoyable wine. I look forward to trying this wine again. However, I would probably cellar this wine for another 5 years if possible. This will pair nicely with your grilled steaks. The one drawback is that it retails for $46, which is too high for this wine compared to other top Cabernets. Give the Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 a try if you can find it cheaper. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this 89 point and I would agree.

Naia Verdejo 2007

2009-10-29T23:57:00.005-04:00

This is another very nice white wine produced by the Bodegas Naia in Rueda Spain. I previously posted the Las Brisas by Naia. This golden colored 100% Verdejo is made from some of the oldest non-grafted vines at 90+ years. The majority of the grapes come from 25+ year old vines. The Verdejo is an aromatic wine with plenty of apricot, lemon and peach aromas along with wonderful spring flowers. The palate is very crisp and refreshing with grapefruit, lime, green apple, lemon and some minerality from gravel located throughout the vineyard. There is nice acidity on the finish which will make this a wine to pair with many foods. There is always the shellfish and seafood but would also go well with sushi or California rolls. You could pair this with chicken, pork or even a salad. This is a $12 wine worth trying. Wine Enthusiast gave this an 88 point rating and I would agree.

Chanteauvieux Dole Du Valais AOC 2007

2009-10-27T14:52:00.004-04:00

My wife keeps asking when I am going to start posting the Swiss wines. Well, here is the first of many to come. For such a small country, Switzerland has produced some outstanding wines. Then again, nestled between Italy, France and Austria you would expect some great wines. Before someone corrects my geography, I have left Liechtenstein and Germany out of the mix even though they border Switzerland too. Sorry, but they don't compare to the other three countries for wines. Riesling fans will disgree with me. This medium bodied wine comes from the Canton of Valais which is located in the southwest corner of Switzerland along the borders of France and Italy. This is the largest wine producing Canton in Switzerland. The Chanteauvieux Dole is a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay, a grape well known in the Beaujolais region of nearby France. I do not know what the exact percentage of the blend is but it has nice fruity aromas of strawbrries from the Gamay and cherries expected in the Pinot Noir. I also thought there was an abundance of aromas of musty barnyard along with some oak. The fruitiness was present on the palate but was also sour. There was also some mushroom flavors and a hint of truffles. The tannins were very smooth and the finish was medium. You could pair this wine with ham, sausages, white meats and even cheeses. Better yet, serve it with a swiss meal of either cheese fondue or fondue chinoise. I struggled with this wine, but my wife really enjoyed it. After all the great Swiss wines I have had, this would rank in the lower level. Two drawbacks to Swiss wines are their high prices and they are difficult to find. There are not a lot of Swiss wines imported by the US unfortunately. They are extremely good wines.

Vina Robles Petite Sirah 2007

2009-10-22T01:39:00.002-04:00

Here is another outstanding wine I had at the Distributor's Portfolio Tasting 2 weeks ago. As you know from previous posts, I am a BIG fan of the Girard Petite Sirah from CA. But this Vina Robles is also very good. As I mentioned to the Vina Robles representative pouring that day, this doesn't have that big "in your face" explosion that many CA Petite Sirah's have. It was very complex but structured more like a European wine. She then proceeded to tell me that the owner and winemaker are both Swiss. Hans Nef purchased the property in 1996 and bottled his first vintage in 1999. Winemaker Matthias Gubler likes to be called winegrower over winemaker as he feels great wines start in the vineyard. Mr. Gubler comes from a family of Pinot Noir growers in Switzerland where he got his first start. The 2007 Petite Sirah has a dark purple hue with lush aromas of blackberries, blueberries, cherries and a hint of herbs and spices. The flavors were more from the black fruits along with some plum, cedar and ending with white pepper. The grapes for this full-bodied wine come from 3 vineyards in the Paso Robles - San Luis Obispo region of CA. It was aged in French oak (45% new) for 16 months, so there is some oak in the nose and on the palate. The tannins were relatively smooth. This is a very good wine that I think will only get better over the next 5 years. Be sure to decant this wine before serving. It will pair well with grilled meats and sausages or blue cheeses. You may want to try it with Thanksgiving too. The 2007 Petite Sirah retails for $24-$26. Give this a try.

Chateau La Cardonne 2000

2009-10-19T16:53:00.002-04:00

We have finally started to tap into the French section of the cellar. Saturday night my wife made another one of her exceptional swiss dinners of Pork Tenderloin Medallions with a honey and curry sauce along with a slice of apple on top. As her father always does in Switzerland, she broke out the Bordeaux. The Chateau La Cardonne is a Cru Bourgeois, a classification dating back to 1932 which was attempted to be revised in 2003 but vetoed by the French Government. This wine is not only from the Medoc region , but also from the Appellation of Medoc. Typically, there is more Cabernet Sauvignon planted in this part of the appellation than Merlot, but the blend for the La Cardonne is 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. The Medoc region is divided into two parts with the northern section called Medoc and the southern portion called Haut-Medoc. I will save the Bordeaux sub-region classifications and discussion for a separate post as it gets very confusing.

As you can see on the vintage chart (see sidebar), the 2000 Bordeaux's from Medoc had outstanding ratings. This wine followed those ratings, though not as high. This had a delicious bordeaux taste with the cabernet franc perfectly integrated. It was a smooth wine with nice rich aromas of red berries, chocolate and some molasses. The French oak was present but had aged well. The wine really opened up as dinner went on. I recommend decanting this wine. If you are looking for a nice entry-level Bordeaux at a very reasonable price, $22, then give this a try. The La Cardonne 2000 is ready to be opened. No need to cellar this longer. Wine Spectator gave this an 89 point rating. I would agree.

Huber Gruner Veltliner Hugo 2008

2009-10-17T19:24:00.003-04:00

This past week while the boys were off school, we took a short trip to VT to my brother's ski / vacation house in VT to enjoy the fall foliage and to hike. On the way, we stopped at the Grafton Cheese Shoppe (Barn) in Brattleboro to pick up some cheese and wines. The first night we had a bottle of the Huber Gruner Veltliner from Austria. We have enjoyed other Gruners in the past and we were not disappointed in the Huber. This light yellow colored wine had a wonderful citrus nose along with some apples and peaches. The lemon and limes were dominant on the palate along with some grassiness. It concluded with some acidic grapefruit on the back end. For $10, this is a good buy.

The Grafton Cheese Shoppe was started in Grafton Village, VT in 1892 but have since opened the Brattlboro production and retail store. Here, you can watch them make the cheddar cheeses along with sampling about 10 of the 80 cheeses they sell. They have about 100 different wines for sale that can be paired with the cheese and other specialty foods. You can also visit the farm animals at the barn. We were greeted by a peacock when we got out of the car.

Bodegas Palacio Glorioso Reserva 2003

2009-10-16T01:23:00.003-04:00

Another wine I tasted at the Distributor's Portfolio Tasting last week was a Rioja Reserve by Bodegas Palacio. I tried four of the wines from this Spanish winery and the one that stood out was the Glorioso Reserva 2003. This Rioja is made from 100% tempranillo grapes and has been aged in new French oak barrels for 24 months. This bright red Rioja starts off with aromas of currants, cherries, and raspberries along with some vanilla and oak. The oak is well balanced with the juicy red fruit flavors. I also picked up on some tobacco and a little herbal note on the back. It had a really enjoyable finish with smooth tannins. This wine is in its prime and should be drunk now. This would of course go well with white meats, but is perfect for traditional Spanish dishes like tapas or pringas or Mexican enchiladas or burritos. For $17, this is a good buy.

Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc 2008

2009-10-13T01:55:00.001-04:00

Are you looking for an outstanding US Sauvignon Blanc? I have found it. While at a distributor's portfolio tasting the other day, I stopped at the Long Meadow Ranch table. Long Meadow Ranch is an organic farmed vineyard located in Rutherford, CA. Chris Hall, the son of founder and owner Ted Hall, was pouring for the event. Ted was a self starter who made his first wine in a garage in 1971, along with two college classmates. In 1989, the Hall family purchased the ranch and as they say the rest is history. They produce three reds including Sangiovese and Cabernets, along with this one white. Suprisingly, this is their only white wine and only the fourth vintage of Sauvignon Blanc. Overall, they are a small operation with only about 5,000 total cases of reds and whites produced each year. In addition to their wines, they also sell olive oils, fruits, vegetables, eggs and beef all from the Hall's farm.

This refreshing un-oaked wine had immense aromas of exotic fruits, flowers and some spices followed by smooth fruity flavors of kiwi, apples, grapefruit, and citrus. In a blind taste, you would not pick the US as home to this wine. A very well balanced wine for Summer that would pair well with fish, shell fish or a nice soft cheese. Could also be sipped on the patio. The Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc 2008 retails for $18. Update: the 2009 vintage received a 91 point rating from Wine Enthusiast.

Midolini Rosacroce Uvaggio Bianco 2007

2009-10-13T00:58:00.001-04:00

This northern Italian white wine is a blend of 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Tocai Friulano and 30% Chardonnay. As of January 1, 2008, the name Tocai was to be banned by the EU from all labels of wines exportd from the Friuli region in north east Italy. Now the Italians just call it Friulano. The Hungarians argued that the Italian Tocai name was too confusing to their Tocaji. The Tocai Friulano is an aromatic white wine compared to the sweeter Tocaji dessert wine. How can you confuse the two?

For the 2007 Rosacroce, the Sauvignon Blanc and the Tocai were both aged in stainless steel tanks and the Chardonnay was aged for 8 months in French oak barriques. This golden colored wine is a fuller bodied white that has plenty of peach, pineapple, and floral aromas. On the palate, there was some nice pear, apples and citrus coming thru along with some minerality from the terroir. Although higher in acidity, it is well balanced leaving a nice long finish. This could pair well with appetizers or a salad. Better yet, next time you are looking for a wine to serve with Asian or Thai foods, give this a try. We both enjoyed it, although the $29 price tag was high.

Koyle and Terrapura

2009-10-11T00:19:00.023-04:00

This past week I had the priviledge of having dinner with winemaker Cristobal Undurraga of the Koyle wines from Santiago, Chile. Cristobal's enthusiasm and love of not only his wines but of the wine industry cannot be matched. The famed Undurraga family has been making wines for six generations dating back to 1885 with their first imports to the US in 1903. Cristobal has learned the business from some of the best around the world having worked at Franciscan Winery in Napa, CA; Rosemont Wines in Barossa Valley, Australia; Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux, France and Vina Kaiken in Mendoza, Argentina. He then returned to Chile to join his father, two brothers and sister to start the Koyle wine label in 2006. The Koyle name came from Cristobal's love of a purple flowering vine that dates back to the Indians. These once endangered vines still grow on the family property.

We began the dinner with four wines from the Terrapura label made by his brother Alfonso. The first wine served with appetizers was the Terrapura Sauvignon Blanc 2009 which is a single-vineyard wine that has an intense aroma of tropical fruit. The flavors follow on to the palate along with some citrus and nice acidity. This does not have the crispness and exotic flavors as a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc but a wonderfully structured Sauvignon Blanc. This is a must buy! This retails for $11.

Next up was the Terrapura Chardonnay 2008. This 100% Chardonnay has a light yellow color with aromas of apples, pears and slight hints of tropical fruits. Alfonso says there is also a mandarin orange aroma but I did not pick this up. The soft Chardonnay flavors were complimented with some amber honey. This wine is aged in steel tanks for four months with innerstaves of French oak. This will pair well with appetizers as well, or a mild white fish. The 2008 Chardonnay retails for $11.

Those were the only whites we tasted. The Koyle label also has a Sauvignon Blanc, but it has not been shipped to the US as of now. The first red for the evening was the Terrapura Merlot 2008. This had a nice cherry and mulberry aroma, along with some spices and pepper. On the palate, the fruits were well balanced with soft tannins and a medium finish. Like the Chardonnay, this is aged in steel tanks for four months with innerstaves of French and American oak. For the $11 price tag, this a nice Merlot.

The next wine may not be known to alot of people. The Terrapura Carmenere 2008 is a red wine made from 100% Carmenere grapes. This grape was originally grown in the Bordeaux region of France until it was almost wiped out by disease in the mid 1860's. There has been long speculation as to the grape as a possible clone but in 1998 it was officially recognized by the Chilean Department of Agriculture as a seperate distinct variety. As with the Terrapura Merlot, this wine is aged in steel tanks for four months with innerstaves of French and American oak. The Carmenere has a very deep red color and starts off with an abundance of green bell pepper aromas along with some strawberries and spicy peppers. The flavors remind me somewhat of a Cabernet Franc with the more vegetable and herbal notes along with fresh red berries. The tannis were smooth and mellow. You could pair this with an entree of pasta or would go well with a pork loin. The Carmenere retails for $11. Give it a try.

The final four wines are from the Koyle label. Presently, Cristobal grows seven different varieties of grapes, but hopes to expand to 14 and then eventually to 21. The main vines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah. They also grow a small amount of Tempranillo, Petit Verdot and Mouvèdre that they use for blending.

The Koyle Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 was one of my favorites. This dark ruby colored wine is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Carmenere that came from two regions in Chile - Maipo and Colchagua Valley. There was a wonderful blackberry and blueberry aroma along with tobacco and coffee. The Carmenere added some spiciness to the taste. 60% of the wine is aged in French oak for 12 months and the remaining 40% is aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve the aroma and taste of the grape varietals. They recommend decanting this wine for at least 30 minutes before serving and also feel that this will cellar well for another 5 years. Only 4,000 cases of the Cabernet Sauvignon were produced and it retails for $17. A must buy.

The Koyle Syrah 2007 was the first vintage of this wine and is a blend of 87% Syrah and 13% Carmenere. It is dark violet in color with creamy, intense cassis and graphite notes, along with some chocolate and toasty oak on the nose and palate. The tannins were a little chewy on this vintage but should evolve nicely over the next 5-10 years. This is slightly less acidic than the Cabernet. Be sure to decant the Syrah at least 30 minutes prior to serving, but 60 minutes is better if you have the time. Again, only 4,000 cases were produced. The 2007 Syrah retails for $17.

Another favorite of mine was the Koyle Royale Cabernet Sauvignon 2007, which is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Malbec and 6% Carmenere. The Cabernet grapes are harvested from vines planted in the early 20th century. This dark ruby Cabernet has a complex aroma of black currants, blackberry, violet and black tea. The black fruits continue onto the palate along with some spiciness from the Carmenere, followed by a nice long lingering finish. Following fermentation, the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. The barrels included 20% new oak, 20% 1 year used, 20% 2 years used and 40% 3+ years. Again, be sure to decant this wine. The 2007 Royale Cabernet, which retails for $26, will cellar nicely for the next 10 years. Another must buy.

The final wine of the night was the Koyle Royale Syrah 2007, which is a blend of 85% Syrah, 11% Malbec and 4% Carmenere. This bright purple full-bodied wine SHOCKED me with a big aroma of grilled meats. Once I got beyond this, there was some cherry and mulberry aromas along with some herbs and a little chocolate. In addition to the blackberry flavors from the Syrah, the Malbec and Carmenere added some plum and peppery flavors. As with the Royale Cabernet, this wine was also aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. This is a very complex wine that should age well. This Syrah retails for $26.00

Overall, I had a tremendous evening listening to Cristobal's excitement and knowledge of his wines and the wine business and tasting the above noted wines. You really can't go wrong with any of the wines from the Unduragga family. The Chilean wines are still at the lower end of the price scale and have some outstanding buys. If I ever get a chance to visit Chile, Cristobal Undurraga and Koyle Wines will be the first stop on my trip.

Maculan Pino & Toi 2008

2009-10-04T21:25:00.005-04:00

This Italian white wine produced by the Maculan family in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains in the Veneto region of Italy is slightly outside the box. It is a blend of 60% Tocai, 25% Pinot Bianco and 15% Pinot Grigio. I was a little disappointed by this wine. The intial pale yellow, almost white, hue made me think of a flavored water instead of wine. The nose was so tight that at this point I was ready to dump it. There was some aromas of grass, apples and baking yeast. Not a good combination. However,the flavors were slightly more expressive on the palate, although a mild taste. There were pears and apples with some floral notes followed by a bitterness that left a bad after-taste. A very short finish on this wine. We sipped this without food, and maybe that was a mistake. As with many whites, it would pair with appetizers or with fish and shell fish. Maybe a grilled veal bratwurst would work also. I would not serve this with white meats though. Then again, we both agreed that next time we would pass on this wine. The 2008 Maculan Pino & Toi retails for $13.

Luigi Bosca Pinot Noir Reserve 2006

2009-09-30T16:29:00.011-04:00

As mentioned in an earlier posting, the Luigi Bosca wines by the Arizu family have been around for a long time, encompassing a large portfolio from the Luigi Bosca wines, the La Linda wines, and the Selectos Familia Arizu wines. The 2006 Pinot Noir Reserve is a medium-bodied wine that has smokey cherries, raspberries and currants on the nose along with some floral notes. The flavors included strawberries, raspberries, cinnamon and chocolate. It also had a slight minty taste on the back. It is relatively dry and the tannins are firm. This reserve was aged 6-8 months in French oak barrels and the oak was well integrated. Pair this with some light foods, pasta or mild cheeses. Jay Miller from the Wine Advocate rated this 89 points and the Michael Schachner from Wine Enthusiast gave it an 87. We would agree with the lower rating. It just doesn't match up to the Californian and Oregon Pinots. The 2006 Reserve retails for $16-$18. This will not be added to the "must buy" list.

Bodega Vistalba Corte C 2005

2009-09-29T22:41:00.007-04:00

The Bodega Vistalba winery is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in the Mendoza region of Argentina. The family owned and operated state of the art winery was built in 2002, although the Pulenta family estate has been growing vines since the late 1940's. The Vistalba Corte wines have a bare-bones label and probably one of the most basic names you will find - there is the Corte A, Corte B and Corte C. No fancy names or grape varietals on the label. These names refer to the amount of Malbec found in each blend starting with 40% in the Corte A, 57% in Corte B and 85% in Corte C. The additional blend for the Corte C is 15% Merlot. Upon pouring the first glass, I was shocked by the deep dark purple color. Any hesitation I may have had went away as soon as I got my first sniff of the lush cherries, blackberries and raspberries as well as some cassis and bark. The berries followed through on the palate along with some soft vanilla and oak tones and round tannins. 20% of the wine was aged in French oak for 12 months before bottling. This medium bodied Malbec would be the perfect match for many dishes including grilled flank or skirt steaks, pork tenderloins with a sauce, osso buco, lamb shanks or even a hearty pasta dish. The simplicity of the label and name is followed by a complex yet well balanced and great tasting wine. A great buy for $12.

Clemen Vinho Verde Reserva 2008

2009-09-27T15:36:00.005-04:00

A few weekends ago, we invited several couples and their children over for some playtime for all the kids and wines for the parents. While the wood was burning down in the fireplace to the desired red embers for grilling, we opened up a new wine from Portugal's Quinta das Touquinheiras Winery called Clemen. The region where these grapes are grown is located in the northwestern portion of the country along the Atlantic Ocean where the humidity is high and there is plenty of rainfall. It is a really fresh summer wine made from a blend of 50% Trajadura and 50% Alvarinho grapes. The Alvarinho grapes is more commonly known as the albarino grape in Spanish wines. This golden colored wine starts off with amazing aromas of apricots and peaches from the Alvarinho with some floral and mineral aromas from the terroir. On the palate, the fresh fruits continued along with some lemon and honey dew. A wonderful acidity and dryness to this wine makes for a great pairing with shellfish or fish. We served it with hors d'oeuvres of several types of soft cheeses, a French baguette, sliced pears and grapes and a tea-rose petal preserve. Are you looking for a nice white wine outside your normal list, give this one a try. Doug, from our local Wine Wise store, recommended this and I have to say Good Job!! I can probably count on one hand the number of Portuguese wines I have tasted and it was probably the first for our guests but everyone really enjoyed this wine. The Clemen retails for about $10.

Henry's Drive Vignerons

2009-09-22T14:06:00.035-04:00

Last week I was invited to a dinner with Kim Longbottom and Renae Hirsch from the Henry's Drive winery in Padthaway, Australia. If you are as unfamiliar with this region of Australia as I am, Padthaway is part of the Limestone Coast in the southeastern corner of Australia. Kim and her late husband Mark became the owners and operators of Henry's Drive Winery, although the property has been in the Longbottom family for 3 generations. They planted their first vines in 1992 and released their first vintage in 1996. Renae Hirsch has been the master wine maker for the past two years. Although she has followed in the footsteps of Sarah and Sparky Marquis (Molly Dooker wines) and Chris Ringland, Renae has impressed me with her own blends in the most recent vintages.

Henry's Drive has an interesting history that the Longbottom's have preserved with their winery. Back in the 19th century, the only mode of transportation was by horse-drawn coach. The coach service was owned by Mr. Henry John Hill and he drove the coach thru the exact property where Mark and Kim built their vineyard and winery. The coach routes back then were known as drives, thus the name Henry's Drive.

The history from this area and postal theme has also been carried over to the names of each of their wines: Parson's Flat for the early settlers of Padthaway; Henry's Drive for the coach operator; Dead Letter's Office for the postal workers who opened undeliverable mail; Pillar Box for the red mailboxes that first appeared in the 1850's when the first postage stamp was introduced by neighboring South Wales; Trial of John Montford who robbed the mail coach a few miles from Padthaway making off with 75 Australian pounds (approx $131); Morse Code for the first wireless communication system; and the Postmistress which is a topic for discussion while drinking their wines. Additionally, the labels for these wines match the names perfectly.

We started with the Postmistress Blanc de Blanc - this 2009 sparkling wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes sourced from a single family vineyard in Padthaway. This is a really nice wine to serve by itself or with an aperitif of scallops and oysters. A plate of fresh fruit/berries would be nice too but be careful that the sweetness from each don't turn into a battle. For a fraction of the price of Champagne, this sparkling wine is a great buy at $20. I generally don't like sparkling wines but this one changed my mind.

Next up was the Morse Code 2009 Chardonnay - this vintage is made from 100% chardonnay grapes also sourced from the Estate's Padthaway vineyards. This wine has nice fruit forward tastes of lemon and melon along with toasted spice and subtle oakiness. I'm a big fan of Brie and other creamy cheeses which would go well with this Chardonnay. Another good buy at $9.00. It will be released in the US by year end.

That was the extent of the white wines. Now we come to the big reds.

The entry level red was the Morse Code 2008 Shiraz made from 100% Shiraz grapes which had a nice red fruit flavor along with some spices and mint. The majority of this wine was unoaked which allowed the fruit to come forward. A nice introduction wine that retails for $9.

Probably the most recognized Henry's Drive wine would be the Pillar Box Red. The 2008 is a blend of 66% Shiraz, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Merlot which is dense and juicy with flavors of blackcurrant and cherries along with dried thyme and some oak. This is an easy drinking wine that retails for $12.

The 2007 Pillar Box Reserve Shiraz is a dark inky colored wine with intense blackcurrant and plum flavors along with some graphite, cedar and spices. The tannins were firm yet smooth. The Pillar Box Reserve Shiraz retails for $20.

My favorite was the 2007 Dead Letter Office Shiraz which is made from 100% Shiraz grapes from two wine regions - Padthaway and McLaren Vale. This Shiraz had a great nose of red fruits, red licorice and vanilla. The palate starts with lots of McLaren Vale berry and red currant fruits with some spicy notes while the Padthaway character comes thru on the mid-palate with spearmint and lavender. Throughout dinner, I kept tasting this wine and it continud to get better each time. This retails for $28, but is better than many wines that are priced higher than this.

My second favorite was probably the 2007 Trial of John Montford Cabernet. For Cabernet fans, give this a try. The 90% Cabernet Sauvignon was blended with 10% Cabernet Franc. You are hit quickly by the heavy cherry flavors along with some toasted spices. However, the Cabernet Franc mellows out the Cabernet Sauvignon some and adds a little violet to the nose and dried herbs to the palate. This had some chewy tannins but a nice long finish. This wine should only get better with age. The John Montford retails for $30.

The last three wines were Shiraz or Shiraz blends - The Henry's Drive 2007 Shiraz, Henry's Drive 2007 Reserve Shiraz and the 2006 Parson's Flat Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon. These are rather complex wines with dark berry fruits, spices and chocolate. The tannins were a little chewy yet. They ranged in price from $35-$50, which I feel is a little high for these wines.

Each of these red wines tasted are still very young and need to be put away for a few more years. As with other Australian wines, these reds ranged from 14.5% to 16% alcohol content. The terroir is expressed nicely in each of the wines. Kim and Renae have some complex wines but overall very well balanced. These bigger full-bodied reds will all pair well with hearty dishes of grilled meats, stews and goulashes, and strong cheeses. With the exception of the Pillar Box Red (122,000 cases), all the others are small productions of less than 6,000 cases. The Henry's Drive wines are worth searching out. I look forward to following Renae's progression and Kim's history lesson. All of the Henry's Drive wines are imported by Quintessential Wines from CA (see sidebar).

The Crusher Viognier 2007

2009-09-21T08:50:00.015-04:00

The Crusher is a new line of wines produced by the Don Sabastiani & Sons winery located in Sonoma, CA. However, the grapes were harvested from the Wilson Vineyards in Clarksburg (the Sacramento Delta). This is a relatively unknown wine region that keeps putting out good wines and should start getting more press. The fourth generation family-run winery was voted American Winery of the Year in 2005 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine and is probably best known for their Smoking Loon line of wines. This past Friday night we opened a bottle from the first release of The Crusher 2007 Viognier and was surprised by the plastic cork. Interesting!! The wine has a straw yellow color with floral aromas along with bananas, apricots and a touch of honey. On the palate, it is a medium bodied rather dry wine starting off with some sweet peaches followed by vanilla and ending with the bitterness of a granny smith apple, my oldest son's favorite apple. This must be paired with food as the alcohol content is 14.9%. Could pair with Asian inspired dishes, per the winemaker, or my favorite a French triple cream cheese. Overall, we both enjoyed this wine which retails for about $15.

Pierre Boniface Vin de Savoie Apremont 2007

2009-09-15T13:41:00.013-04:00

This is a refreshing white wine that I found at Gary's Wine & Marketplace in Wayne, NJ (see sidebar). The Savoie region of France is situated in the foothills of the French Alps, bordering southwest Switzerland and the northern Piedmont region of Italy. It is made from the Jacquere grape which is a late maturing grape that generally is low in sugars which keeps the wine drier. The Apremont has a low 11.5% alcohol content which is typical for wines with Jacquere grapes. The color is a pale yellow with some greenish tints. The nose is pretty tight but I was able to pick up some citrus aromas along with some garden flowers. On the palate, it was a little more expressive with citrus, green apples, and a hint of summer peaches and grapefruit. There was no evidence of any oak. This could be enjoyed by itself or with an aperitif. I will also pair this with my wife's original Swiss fondue. Retails for $10-$12. If you like Chardonnay, give this a try.

Villa Mt. Eden Grand Reserve Cabernet 2004

2009-09-14T00:17:00.011-04:00

This is a winery that I visited a few years ago while in Napa. It is the sister winery of Conn Creek, which the 2004 Anthology was posted earlier. This 100% Cabernet is a medium to full bodied wine that started with some black and red fruit aromas. I also picked up on some chocolate along with a hint of the spice rack. Don't be startled by the oak on the nose as it is pretty well structured along with the plum and black fruit flavors. However, it had some relatively big tannins, so you might want to let this age a few more years. Be sure to decant this wine for at least an hour before drinking. A pretty good value wine that you can find for $14. Would go well with grilled meats or a stew.

B.R. Cohn Cabernet 2006 Silver Label

2009-09-13T00:50:00.010-04:00

While we are on the Rock & Roll theme, B.R. (Bruce) Cohn not only makes wines but has been the manager of the Doobie Brothers since 1969. He has two Cabernet Sauvignon labels, the silver label and the gold label. The 2006 silver label is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes harvested from the Olive Hill Estate Vineyards and the North Coast Vineyards. The nose was interesting with fruity red berries, followed by a eucalyptus cough drop smell and some oakiness. On the palate, I first picked up some cranberry flavors followed by cherry, anise and some funky green bell pepper on the back. Additionally, there was some oak to this wine along with acidity and chewy tannins. Once again, for my palate, this is a decent wine but nothing convinced me to purchase more. The 2006 Silver Label retails for about $15, which is a good price for this wine. I would now like to try the gold label and compare the two.

Mick Fleetwood Private Cellar Cuvee 1998

2009-09-13T00:12:00.011-04:00

1998 was a great year for Mick Fleetwood. First he is enshrined into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Fleetwood Mac and then he produced his first wine. This was just the beginning. To date he has released 17 wines. The Cuvee is a blend of 25% Cabernet Franc and 75% Merlot from the Westerly Vineyards in Santa Ynez, CA that was aged for 30 months in French oak and then another 18 months in the bottle. Cabernet Franc is generally blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot in a Bordeaux style blend. This bright red, light to medium bodied wine opened with nice aromas of raspberry, plum, currants and some violets. It was a very easy drinking wine with red berry flavors followed by a hint of tobacco. Mick wanted a wine with light tannins, which he certainly has in this wine. It has a medium finish. For his first attempt, along with wine maker Mike Brown, it was a decent wine. I would like to try other wines from his Private Cellar label. You could pair this with a nice pork tenderloin or an appetizer tray of cheese.

Conundrum 2006

2009-09-06T00:10:00.013-04:00

Conundrum is owned by the Wagner family of Caymus Vineyards in Napa, CA but stands on its own as a separate brand. The Conundrum is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier and Muscat Canelli. This golden colored wine begins with tropical aromas of fresh picked apricots, melons, kiwi and some guava. Along with the fruits, I picked up some bartlett pears in the flavor. There is nice acidity along with some residual sugar on the back that gives the sweetness. An easy drinking wine that can be sipped or served with appetizers. This is a little dryer and not as crisp as the New Zealand whites, but overall a good wine. This retails for $22, but should be priced in the mid teens. It gets the extra pricing because of its association with Caymus.

Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre 2005

2009-09-05T22:42:00.040-04:00

Another interesting wine from the Allegrini winery is the Palazzo del Torre. This wine is a blend of 70% Corvina Veronese, 25% Rondinella and 5% Sangiovese. 70% of the grapes are vinified immediately after the harvest, the remaining 30% is air-dried (similar to the Amarone) until the end of December. At this point, the wine ferments again with the dried grapes. This dark ruby colored wine is medium to full bodied and starts of with an abundance of black currant aromas along with raisins and a hint of chocolate. The dark fruit flavors are combined with some dried cherries, black tea and spices. I was expecting more chocolate on the palate but there was not much there. The tannins were a little rough and could use some more aging. This is a nice wine, although for my tastes, I would pick the Amarone and the La Grola before the the Pallazzo Della Torre. It would pair nicely with a rack of ribs. The Pallazzo del Torre 2005 retails for about $25. Wine Spectator rated this wine 88 points and the Wine Advocate rated it 89 points. Worth the buy. I am on the lookout for the 2004 vintage.

Montecillo White Rioja 2006

2009-09-01T15:36:00.011-04:00

A white Rioja? Curiosity got the best of me. This is a dry white wine that has some subtle pear and nut aromas along with a small amount of apple flavor and dandelions. For $5 I had to try it. Sometimes it is better to be curious and never know than find out the real deal. This is one of those times. Pass on this white Rioja.

Allegrini La Grola 2004

2009-08-31T21:53:00.016-04:00

The Allegrini family wines date back to the 16th century in the Valpolicella region of northeast Italy. They have been best known for their Amarone wines. I still have one bottle of the 1999 Allegrini Amarone Classico left in the cellar from a case I bought a few years ago. A fantastic wine! This past weekend, we had a bottle of the La Grola 2004, which has some similarities as the Amarone. This big-bodied wine is a mix of 70% Corvina Veronese, 15% Rondinella, 10% Syrah and 5% Sangiovese. It has a complex aroma of crushed blackberries along with some plum from the syrah, some cherry from the the Sangiovese and a hint of chocolate. The flavors are bold, like the Amarone, with mixed berries, sweet red licorice, nice earthy Italian soil, raisins, figs and herbal spices. This was aged in French oak for 16 months and the oak is so well balanced along with nice round tannins. It ends with a nice long finish. You could hold this for another 5-10 years and it will be fantastic. This was rated 90 points by both Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator. It retails for $23 and is a steal at this price. The La Grola will pair well with most red meats, stews and goulashes. A must buy!!

Renzo Marinai Chianti Classico 2005

2009-08-28T15:20:00.014-04:00

A few nights ago, we had a bottle of the Renzo Marinai Chianti Classico 2005 produced in Greve-in-Chianti, a small town outside of Radda. Greve, the unofficial capital of Chiati, is the host to the annual Chianti wine festival every September. Renzo Marinai is an organic farmer that farms olives and wheat, in addition to the grape vineyards. This is an easy drinking Chianti made of 92% Sangiovese grapes and 8% Canaiolo. It has a garnet color with the fresh aroma of red fruits, some vanilla and some dirt. The flavors are subtle red fruits along with the earthiness of Tuscan wines. This dry wine has some oakiness and some tannins that should ease up over the next few years. This was an interesting Chianti, and I would like to try the 2004 Chianti Classico. Would go well with chicken or pork. Retails for about $25.

La Corte Salice Salentino 2006 & Solyss 2006

2009-08-24T08:42:00.020-04:00

We recently tried two wines from the La Corte winery in Puglia Italy (the heel of the boot). The 2006 Salice Salentino and the 2006 Solyss. These wines, made by acclaimed winemaker Chris Ringland, both use the negroamaro grape as the predominant grape but are completely different. The Salentino, mixed with Malvasia, was a medium to full bodied wine with mixed berry (raspberry) aromas along with tobacco and a hint of chocolate. It has a nice sweet berry taste along with the Italian earthiness. The Solyss, made from 100% negroamaro grapes, was more of a fuller bodied wine with spicy blackberry aromas and plum and blueberry tastes. The Salentino was rated 91 points and I have to agree that it was the better wine. The Salentino retails for $11 and the Solyss retails for $16. The Salentino is a great value wine at this price, and would be a perfect fit for a plate of pasta with arrabiata sauce or a pizza with all the toppings.

Domaine De Fenouillet 2005

2009-08-24T00:03:00.004-04:00

We had a bottle of the 2005 Cotes Du Ventoux from Domaine De Fenouillet recently and it received two thumbs down at our house. This French wine is a medium bodied Pinot Noir from the southeastern region of the Rhone that had a fresh berry nose but lacked taste and substance. Wouldn't even use it for cooking. Retails for about $10. PASS!!!!